


1977

by LunaTheOracle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Hogwarts Inter-House Friendships, Hogwarts Inter-House Relationships, Hufflepuff & Slytherin Inter-House Friendships, Hufflepuff/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-24 19:13:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12019215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaTheOracle/pseuds/LunaTheOracle
Summary: With the Dark Lord on the move, Eris Turner has never before been terrified to be a Slytherin. She's never felt like she belonged in the first place, but being Muggle-Born made her a primary target amongst her peers. As she begins her last year at Hogwarts, she wishes to graduate without any incidents. However, when a transfer student from Durmstrang crosses paths with her, she finds out her fate is imminent.





	1. Hogwarts Express

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys Boo here! Hope you enjoy this, and feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> Enjoy my honey buns~

   The Hogwarts Express slowly left King’s Cross as scheduled on September 1st, 1977. The narrow hallway was filled with students reuniting after spending their summer back in their homes, and the first years were merrily chatting away with new acquaintances. It was a long ride all the way to Hogwarts, and many were impatient to know what House they would be sorted in.  
   In one of the compartments sat a Seventh year Slytherin with greyish-brown hair tied up in a messy bun, staring out the window at the scenery rolling by. As she overheard the new students talking outside, she began to reminisce about her first year as well. When she first came to the school six years ago, it was surreal seeing it’s grandeur. The sorting ceremony began immediately after everyone who already had a house had been seated, and the first years lined up for their turn.     She had read up on the infamous Hogwarts Houses before arriving, and she was positive she would be sorted into either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Sure of it.  
   “Turner, Eris!” called out the old woman, who was later known to her as Professor McGonagall.  
   Eris held the sides of her robe with anticipation, a small smile of nervousness tugging at the corners of her lips. McGonagall gave the girl a reassuring smile and she sat down, awaiting for the hat to be placed on top of her head.  
   She flinched a little as she heard a little voice beside her ear, “Oh my, my, my, what a rare case indeed.”  
   She didn’t like the sound of that.  
   “Ambitious and hard working, quite the observer and open-minded… Such wonderful potential at that. You best be careful with your nature, SLYTHERIN!”  
   The table under the green serpentine banners erupted in cheers, but Eris remained in a daze and her surroundings were muffled. McGonagall nudged her off of the stool, and with an overwhelmed heart she took her seat at the Slytherin table.  
   Confused, she began to go back on what she had read about the houses. None of who she was corresponded to Slytherin. Had she missed something? Maybe the hat made a mistake? Had he mistaken her for another Eris Turner that fitted the picture unlike her?  
   She found out soon enough what the hat had meant by her nature. She wasn’t aware that muggle-borns were of a rarity in Slytherin, and not very welcomed among pure bloods of that house. She thought it would be best to keep her lineage a secret.  
   Even after six years Eris continued to have her doubts on the hat’s decision. Not once had she felt in place with the Slytherins, and had more friends among Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws than anyone else in her House, probably because she so desperately wanted to be one of them.  
   The door to her compartment opened, and Eris immediately turned around to see Marion, a fellow Slytherin she had befriended on her first day at school.  
   “Bloody hell, been lookin’ all over for you!”  
   Eris gave a small chuckle. “Good morning to you too.”  
   Marion walked over and hugged the other’s head tightly against her chest, moving from side to side. A usual Marion greeting. Eris playfully gasped for air and the two laughed, Marion finally taking her seat across her best friend.  
   “Where’s Diana and Claire?” Eris asked. Marion shrugged.  
   “Probably lookin’ for you the same way I was,” she said. “We all know you’re always the first one to find an empty compartment before any one else can.”  
   Eris liked to rejoice in the small victories. She knew everyone that boarded the train would make haste to grab the nearest compartment, but she was the one to run at full speed towards the last few wagons. And every year, she succeeded.  
   The door slid open again, and two girls were panting so hard Eris thought they were having a simultaneous asthma attack. Claire with the blonde pixie cut had her Hufflepuff scarf thrown over her head from running throughout the train, while dark skinned Diana with her beautiful long black hair looked fine in her Ravenclaw attire except she had her wand tangled in between her locks. The girls sitting down had to stifle laughs, and waited for the explanation after they sat down.  
   “I can’t stand people,” Claire hissed. “So. Many. People.”  
   “Claire shot down the hallway like a bullet and I barely caught up,” Diana laughed.  
   The girls mainly spoke about their summers and who they went out with. Eris was extremely careful to omit any relations to muggles, as even her closest friends didn’t even know about her status. She thought to reveal it at graduation later that year as to spare any possible unpleasantness from other students.  
   “Did you guys hear?” Marion started. “There’s a transfer student comin’ in from Durmstrang.”  
   The girls let out small gasps, and Claire immediately clutched Eris’ robes. “Is he hotter than Sirius Black?”  
   “We’ll have to see for ourselves, I only overheard it while lookin’ for Eris. We’ll just have to keep our eyes out.”  
   “What year?” Diana asked.  
   “Same as ours I believe.” Marion nodded to herself pensively. “Or maybe a year younger, who knows. I’m hopin’ he’s our age though.”  
   Diana elbowed Marion in the side, giving her a sly grin, and everyone began to giggle.  
   “Shall we bet which House he’ll be in?” Eris suggested, and the others nodded fervently. But before they could pick their choices, the door opened ever so gently, and a familiar face peeked in.  
   “Sorry ladies, I’m looking for Potter, have you seen him?”  
   The girls’ heads snapped towards Eris, who had gone bright red at the sight of Remus Lupin. Since the other girls didn’t seem willing to respond, his gaze found hers, and he smiled.  
   “He’s under- No he’s over- Over at the, uhm”- she began to wave her hand behind her head, trying to find her words- “You know the-”  
   “The snack station?” he said. Eris nodded, her face flushing a darker color. “Wonderful, thanks. Sorry to have disturbed you. I’ll see you around.”  
   The door closed.  
   “I’ll see you around,” Marion imitated his calm and deep tone. The rest of the girls squealed as Eris fanned herself, trying to regain her composure. “He likes you and you like him!”  
   “We’ve never spoken!” Eris cried out. “I think we had like, 3 classes together over the years.”  
   “Mhmm.” Claire rolled her eyes. “And you wouldn’t shut up about any little thing he did for you.”  
   “Like when you dropped your pen during Divination and he picked it up for you,” Diana said.  
   “Or when you lent him your Potions book and he ran all the way to Slytherin Tower to give it back to you,” Claire added.  
   “Or-”  
   Eris let out a shout, cursing at the girls as her cheeks wouldn’t clear. The girls laughed and teased her for a while before they deemed they had tortured her enough, and soon they moved onto another subject.

*******

   Eris quietly walked out of their compartment. The girls had all fallen asleep, and she was too rattled to even close her eyes. She was tempted to go find Remus again and ask him how he spent his summer, but she was too shy to talk to him while his friends were around. She had seen the cruel things they did to a kid named Severus Snape in particular, and wasn’t too keen on getting a taste of that.  
   The Slytherin girl had noticed the train had gone quiet, and no one was seen outside in the hallway. Only the sound of the train rolling over the tracks could be heard, and Eris was alone with her thoughts again. She leaned on the window and stared out to the rolling green hills, which soon disappeared to a large lake with a setting sun. She was almost at Hogwarts for her final year.  
   She thought up of a plan to finally confront the sorting hat. Since she knew of the transfer students having their private ceremony, she would ask Dumbledore for a moment with the object. She wasn’t guaranteed an audience, but she thought she had nothing to lose. She didn’t want to change Houses, rather, she just wanted a peace of mind that she belonged somewhere else all this time and the hat was wrong with it’s decision.  
   And she thought of Quidditch. Eris had tried to make the Slytherin team for the past six years and never once succeeded. She thought it might’ve been because she felt out of place in her house, but it didn’t really matter when Quidditch was involved. She adored that sport with all of her heart when she first discovered it after Marion asked her to watch a game with her. The thrill of it, the sense of pride swelled her heart and she could never get rid of the large smile she had when spoken to about Quidditch. Alas, she failed try-outs royally, but was determined to make it as a Chaser for her final year. After all, she wanted to go out with a bang.  
   A compartment door closing made Eris look to the side, noticing a very tall student just a few meters away from her. He looked to have a very lean build with short dark brown hair, and was certainly one of the tallest students she had seen. He looked around, and suddenly his eyes fell on her. Eris quickly turned back to looking outside, trying hard not to sneak another peek at him. She didn’t recognize him nor did he bear any house apparel, and wondered if he was one of the transfer students and maybe even the Durmstrang one. From the corner of her eye she noticed him approaching her, and she didn’t know what to do. Should she acknowledge him and say hi? Or should she be like a Slytherin and just sneer and go back to her seat?  
   She turned to look at him, but he seemed lost in thought. Maybe he was just stretching his legs out after the long ride. He didn’t even seem to acknowledge her presence as he only stared sleepily ahead of him.  
   She was about to retire to her compartment when she saw James behind him at the end of the hallway. Only, he wasn’t standing. He was kneeling on top of the sweets cart, charging right at them while roaring with laughter. He was picking up speed but didn’t seem to care much that there were people in his way. And the House-less student taking a stroll didn’t even pay attention.  
   Before James could yell out for the stranger to move over, there was already a few inches in between them. Eris acted fast and grabbed the tall boy by his robes, jerking him against her body as she hit the window with her back. As the cart passed by, Sirius was seen on the bottom, casting a spell that was propelling them to the other side of the train.  
   Eris was panting, still gripping at the other’s robes. The boy quickly looked down at the girl significantly shorter than him. She felt him staring at her, and she lifted her face to look up at him. She first noticed his dark angular eyes, followed by his prominent cheekbones. His sharp jaw and pointed chin formed a diamond face shape that Eris had only seen on models in magazines. Her eyes fell onto his full set of lips last, and her breath fell short.  
   “Are you alright?”  
   She watched his lips move but she hadn’t processed his words until a moment passed. She stuttered and only ended up nodding. She let go of his robes and took a step to the side to free herself from him. He stared at her curiously, then frowned to himself, followed by a roll of his eyes. Seeing as she was a little mortified to be in his presence, she entered the compartment as quickly as she could.  
   But she emerged into the hallway a few seconds later, her face beet red. “Wrong one,” she muttered to herself, entering the next compartment where her friends were still soundly asleep despite James and Sirius’ trolley adventure.  
   Marion’s eyes suddenly opened, and she stretched herself. Smacking her lips, she noticed Eris pressed against the door. “You look like you just saw a hot ghost.”  
   Eris shook her head and took her seat back, but soon found that useless as she saw Hogsmeade coming into view. She breathed a sigh of relief.  
   They had finally arrived. 


	2. The Sorting Hat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! And thank you for the kudos~ Enjoy my lovelies!

Marion was yelling at the girls to hurry up as to not miss the next carriage that would bring them to the gates of Hogwarts. Diana hopped off the train and onto the platform, extending a hand to Claire who was still half asleep. 

Eris was too busy looking around for the tall boy to have noticed that there was still a step remaining, and she tumbled face first onto the platform. Many students passing by laughed, but quickly walked away when Claire started yelling at them. Eris sprung back up on her feet, dusting her clothes off as if nothing had happened (but it was, in fact, eating her inside).

The sun had already set by the time they had arrived at the boarding school. They were greeted by many teachers, including Professor McGonagall whom Eris was very fond of. Everyone was ushered into the Great Hall where four rows of tables were placed in order to separate the houses, and everyone apart the first years took their places. 

The group of friends parted ways and Marion and Eris both sat down near the middle of their row. Eris couldn’t help but notice Remus sitting on the other side of the hall, and her cheeks immediately flushed red. She cursed her ability to fall in love with any boy who showed her the least bit of attention. 

Professor McGonagall arrived with a three legged stool and a beaten up old hat that was rumored to have been Godric Gryffindor’s. Eris eyed the object as if she were to tear it up and make a cushion out of it. Or make the Giant Squid eat it.

She watched as each child was sorted into their house. Not one seemed to be disappointed in the hat’s choice, and she wondered if she were the abnormal one in all of this. When a first year was sorted into Slytherin, she was one of the few who didn’t cheer, preferring to converse with Marion who was making a list of guys she wanted to ask out.

“Marion,” Eris started as McGonagall had finally reached the surnames starting with T, “when exactly do they sort out the transfer students?”

Marion shrugged. “Pretty sure before they sort the first years.”

The Hall suddenly went quiet as Headmaster Dumbledore took a stand to welcome everyone for another year at Hogwarts.

“Before we get to the feast, there are a few things I’d like to announce,” Dumbledore said. “First, I’d like to remind everyone that no student is permitted to enter the Forest, and that Hogsmeade Village is only accessible to third years and over. No exceptions.”

Eris’ leg began to shake. She didn’t want to listen to the same thing the Headmaster has been saying the past six years. She had to face off with the hat like her life depended on it. He continued to talk about the newest faculty and some newly instated rules that no one ever bothered to follow until they were broken.

“I’m sure all of you are aware,” Dumbledore raised his voice for the first time in a long time, “of the recent events.”

With just those vague words, the Hall fell into a deafening silence, and Eris thought she could hear her blood coursing through her veins. She didn’t want to believe what the Daily Prophet was reporting, but if even Dumbledore was bringing it up, it made her entire soul go cold. 

It was said that Dark Wizards were attacking Muggles in what seemed to be an effort to eradicate them, and had recently turned their attention to Muggle-born wizards. They had magical creatures on their side that good wizards feared, such as werewolves, making it hard to go against them. Eris wished the Ministry would do something about it soon, as the last thing she needed was fearing going back home. 

“I assure all of you,” the Headmaster continued, “that as long as you stay here at Hogwarts, no harm will befall you. If any of you wish to stay here during the upcoming break, you are welcomed to do so.” He paused for a moment, his eyes scanning the tables. “And with that I say… Tickle the pud.”

The food appeared before everyone’s eyes. The first years exclaimed with delight while those used to it barely faltered and began digging in. Eris hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she saw the delicious dishes sitting in front of her, and she began to pile up food onto her plate. Marion told her that she was on a diet and only had a few vegetables and a piece of pan seared fish on her plate though she knew she could stomach more. 

Eris almost choked on her food when she noticed the tall boy from the train walking by, adorning the colours of Hufflepuff. Marion stared worriedly, and Michael, another fellow Slytherin, tapped on Eris’ back asking if she was okay.

It then reminded her of her mission. When the tables would clear of the food and Dumbledore would retire to his office, she would go talk to him. Surely he had a second to spare for her amidst his busy schedule, and if anything she would ask Professor McGonagall to have a chat with the hat.   
When Eris had finished her meal she turned towards the table of professors, and noticed most of them were gone, including Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.

She almost tripped over the bench in her haste to catch up to them, Marion calling after her.

She darted down the row, a few people wondering if she had mixed the beans with eggplant porridge. If she wasn’t going to cease this opportunity to set things straight, she was ending the year being a Slytherin at heart.

As she turned the corner she instantly collided with another student. She stumbled back and fell to the ground, her face contorting from the pain. She knew she was the one at fault for running like a mad-woman, but she felt like cursing the other out for being in her way. When she opened her eyes, it was the Hufflepuff from the train standing over her.

“Are you following me?” He smiled with his hand outstretched to help her up. 

Eris’ face turned pink and she shook her head. She brushed him off and stood on her own, her gaze alternating between him and the floor. Her lips parted to say something, but she noticed Dumbledore speaking with Professor Sprout at the end of the corridor. She mumbled something along the lines of an apology and quickly moved past him, resuming her run. The boy stared back at her, but his eyes suddenly fluttered shut and the corners of his lips twitched as if he were in pain. He shook his head, took one last look at the running girl, and went back to the Great Hall.

“Professor!” Eris cried out. Both Sprout and Dumbledore turned around, Sprout adorning a mother-like smile.

“Turner!” Sprout put a hand on her shoulder with a hearty laugh. “My most talented pupil, Headmaster. The brightest I've ever had!” the old lady said, beaming with pride. Eris’ favourite subject was Herbology, and she spent most of her time in the greenhouses if not training on her broom. She faired well in all other subjects with solid E’s everywhere (with the exception of Arithmancy and Divination, where she barely passed with A’s), but maintained an Outstanding level in Herbology. Her mother owned a flower shop back in Brentwood, and though the flaura in the wizarding world were quite different Eris grasped all of the names and uses very easily. It was because of her mother’s influence, no doubt, that she had such a fascination with plants. 

“Headmaster- Sir, may I please have an audience with the Sorting Hat?”

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at her, “What business could you possibly have with the Sorting Hat?”

Even Sprout stared at her as if she were slowly descending into insanity. Eris became a stuttering mess trying to explain her situation, and before she twisted her tongue out, Dumbledore gave her a small nod. 

“Sprout I hope you do excuse me but I think this is of some importance,” he said, and she gave him a bright giggle and waddled away. He turned back to Eris and said, “Follow me, Professor McGonagall went back to my office to put it in it’s place.”

  
*******

Eris had never been to the Headmaster’s office, and she was completely awestruck at it’s enormity. There were rows of books that exceeded the amount there was in the library in Brentwood, artifacts that she wasn’t sure if they were enchanted or cursed, a frail looking red bird perched on a golden ring, and a large mahogany desk stood at the center of the room. It was certainly the most interesting room she had ever visited in Hogwarts and wouldn’t have minded an hour or two of exploring all of the corners of it.

McGonagall was reading up on something when the two had entered, and she immediately put down her book. 

“Did You do something, Miss Turner?” she asked, surprised to see her there. Dumbledore let out a chuckle. 

“Miss Turner here would like a word with the Sorting Hat,” Dumbledore said. McGonagall’s eyes widened, and she hesitantly took the hat back into her hands and handed it to the young girl. Eris’ heart was beating faster and faster with excitement and anticipation, reminiscent of her sorting ceremony. She glanced to the side, noticing that both Dumbledore and McGonagall were staring at her expectantly, as it was unusual for a student to ask for the hat. 

“H-Hello,” she said quietly. The hat writhed in her grip, and in a moment a tear opened wide at the brim. It was yawning.

“Oh dear is it time to sort the first years already?” it said, smacking it’s non-existent lips. 

“N-No… Sir,” Eris said, not quite sure what to call it, “I’m here on quite an urgent matter.”

The hat moved around, trying to come back to it’s senses. “Matter? What matter? Did some kid spill pumpkin juice all over me again?”

Eris shook her head, and then sighed. “Sir, I think… I think you’ve made a mistake.”

Silence. 

“A mistake?” McGonagall whispered, turning to Dumbledore who shrugged slightly. 

“Six years ago you sorted me into Slytherin. I’m afraid it was some sort of mix up-”

“I MAKE NO MISTAKES!” 

Eris flinched at the hat’s voice. She was determined to get through to him though, and was adamant in making him acknowledge he’s made a mistake, even if she was his first. 

“Sir,” she tried to remain calm, but it was a known fact that she burst into tears any time someone yelled at her. “I just… I feel so out of place.”

“There is nothing in the world that will convince me otherwise!” the hat screamed. “You are a Slytherin and it will stay that way. My decision is absolute.”

McGonagall came over and placed a hand on Eris’ shoulder. “My child, what is this all about?”

“You don’t know what it feels like!”

Eris realized a few tears escaped, and she quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of her robe. “You don’t… You don’t know what it feels like to live in fear in your own house. I don’t belong there and you know it!” She shook the hat, but it wouldn’t change it’s mind. Instead, the opening sealed itself back up, and it remained immobile. 

“Sir?” She inspected the hat, giving it another shake. Nothing. 

McGonagall reached for the hat and carefully took it away from her, staring at the girl sympathetically. Dumbledore scratched the back of his hand and said, “Do you wish to speak to us?”

Eris wiped her tears away, then turned around with her head slung low. “I’m sorry about my outburst and wasting your time.”

Dumbledore shook his head. “This is a serious problem. Do you have issues with other students in your house? Perhaps you should take this up with the Head-”

“I’m Muggle-born, Sir.”

McGonagall placed her hand over her mouth, turning to Dumbledore. He, in turn, began to nod. 

“I take it you’re uneasy with what’s happening these days?” he said, walking over to his desk. 

“Yes,” she said sheepishly. “But it wasn’t the case six years ago. I had no idea what was happening then, it really was a problem with my sense of belonging.”

Dumbledore nodded again. “And you thought you could reason with the Sorting Hat so that he may change his decision?”

“I didn’t want to change houses, I could stay in Slytherin as to not make a fuss with the Administration,” she said, still staring at the floor. “I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t just being unreasonable.”

“And what House do you think it would’ve put you in?” McGonagall asked. 

“Well, I was hoping either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw.”

“Why not Gryffindor?” McGonagall raised her eyebrows, a little offended that her House didn’t come up in the possibilities. 

“They’re brave and daring, I’m most certainly not.” She smiled a little to herself. “They’re practical, funny-” Eris caught herself, unable to believe she was explaining what a Gryffindor was with Remus in mind. 

“Curious the way students interpret the house traits,” Dumbledore said to himself. “Miss Turner, I can assure you that the hat makes no mistakes. I think the issue here is that you cannot come to terms with who you are.”

Eris raised her head, trying to give a response but was unable to string words together to make a coherent sentence in front of the Headmaster. Instead of being her usual bumbling self, she thought it be best to just nod in agreement. 

“It was very brave of you to do this, you know,” McGonagall said. “Not many students question things around here.”

Eris didn’t need a fourth identity crisis, but was thankful for her words. 

“Right you are Minerva,” Dumbledore said. “What did you say your first name was?”

“Eris, Sir.”

“I think it’s alright to go on a first name basis,” he said with a small smile. “Tell me Eris, what did the hat tell you when you got sorted?”

Eris tried to recall what it had said, but it was a little fuzzy in her memory. “Something about having potential and to be careful. I’m afraid that’s all I can remember.”

Dumbledore sat down in his chair. “Well, you’ve certainly lived up to that if Professor Sprout speaks so highly of you.” He let out a small laugh. “We won’t keep you, you must be tired from the journey. Off to bed now.”

Eris gave him a small bow and left the office. When the door closed, McGonagall walked in front of the desk.

“She’s a strong candidate,” Dumbledore said. 

“They are children, Albus,” she said. “You cannot expect them to partake in the war at the age of 17.”

“She wanted a change and she tried to make it for herself. People with a drive like that are very valuable to our cause. Her knowledge in Herbology may prove to be useful as well.”

“She wanted a change of House not fight the Dark Lord,” she snapped. 

“We need all the help we can get, Minerva. Keep an eye out for me, please?”

McGonagall thought for a moment, then shook her head. “At least wait till after graduation.” She turned on her heels and left the room. 

Dumbledore slumped back into his chair, rubbing at his temple in circles. He knew that McGonagall had the right intentions, but he was pressed for time and needed as many wizards and witches on his side as he could possibly have. He needed to begin recruiting, and soon at that. If they were going to win the war, they needed powerful people at hand, and what better opportunity than to train his students in their prime.

*******

Eris walked slowly through the halls, trying to think everything over. Her last official chance was getting the hat to revoke it’s decision, and she was left with nothing. She didn’t want to go down in history as the bright herbology witch from Slytherin. Any other title she would’ve accepted except that one. Would it be just simple enough to accept her House? Probably. But Eris was stubborn and determined to give herself a name that would go beyond any house affiliation. And she thought that maybe using Quidditch just might be the answer. She just needed to make the team.

As she arrived at a stone wall, Eris whispered a word, and the wall suddenly moved to reveal a passage way.

One thing Eris absolutely hated about being a Slytherin was having a Common Room in the dungeons. It was bleak, cold, and it made her feel downright miserable. Having the Great Lake over part of it made her feel a little uneasy too, even if it was upheld with magic. She barely ever spent her time there, always retreating to the Great Hall to study or when the weather was nice she would go sit under a tree or in the stands of the Quidditch pitch. 

When she entered the dorm room, Marion rushed to her, feeling her forehead. 

“You suddenly left!” she yelled, eyebrows furrowing. “Are you sick? Was it the eggplant and beans again? ”

Eris’ face turned momentarily green, and it wasn’t because she was showing Slytherin pride. It happened once before, and she almost ended up in the Hospital Wing. It wasn’t pretty, and it became an infamous incident among the Slytherins. No one teased her though, not when three others tried to see what the fuss was about. 

“I had to talk with Professor Sprout, you know, some extra curricular things,” Eris said. Marion sighed and shook her head, muttering something about being an over-achiever. 

Eris spotted her bed and immediately smiled. It was a long day, and classes would resume in the morning just like every year. She was tempted to crawl in with her robes, but Marion wouldn’t have it. Something about self-care that apparently she lacked. 

But as she approached her trunk, something zoomed past her. As she turned around, a saw whet owl slammed straight into her face, making Eris fall back onto the floor. Marion and the other girls in the dorm began laughing hysterically while Eris tried to pry Cosmo off of her, who was happily hooting away after not seeing her the entire summer. 

Eris adopted Cosmo before starting off her first year at Hogwarts. Though he was a bit pricey for her compared to a cat or a toad, she liked the fact that Owls could deliver letters. Keeping in touch with her parents was easy enough with him, but he did love to make a mess of things. He was a small thing, but had the energy of a bison. She had to leave him at the school’s owlery since she couldn’t bring it back to their flat in Brentwood, thus she was expecting this kind of welcome. She began to laugh and petted him, scratching the top of his head the way he always liked. He nestled himself in her neck, and she gently got back up. She apologized for the commotion she caused the other girls, who were still laughing. 

Everyone got busy unpacking whilst talking about what they’ve been up to, also expressing their dread in starting the new school year. 

“I hope we get that Durmstrang transfer in one of our classes,” Violet Johnson, a girl with short black hair and round cat-like eyes, said. “I haven’t seen such a handsome fellow in a long time.”

“Marion, did you get his name?” Ava Edwards asked, pushing her glasses back up her nose. 

Marion smiled with pride as if everyone doubted her abilities. “Hajoon Kim, transferred from Durmstrang into the Seventh year. Got sorted into Hufflepuff, is infamous for his abilities in Defense Against The Dark Arts and has an affinity for Muggle Art. Also likes the color red.”

“Blimey,” Teresa Driscol said, “You got more information on that guy in the space of one night than Turner got on Remus in the past six years!”

Eris started to blush again, and the girls began to tease her. It was all in good nature, she knew of that, but it also frustrated her that everyone knew she liked him and never got anywhere with him. Marion suggested to be her wing woman, but Eris always declined (because she knew of Marion’s not so subtle methods). She didn’t have the courage to talk to him, let alone confess she has a crush. He probably knew about it either way as she never could speak to him in a complete and coherent sentence.

“Shame he wasn’t sorted into Slytherin,” Violet said. “We could’ve gotten to know him better. As a Hufflepuff… I’m a bit turned off.”

Marion raised an eyebrow, and Eris remained quiet. 

“Oh come off it,” Violet said. “I don’t have anything against your friends, I just prefer my men… Well, green.”

“Give them eggplant and beans,” Marion said flatly, making everyone laugh. 

The girls didn’t speak for long after, pretty exhausted from the train ride. Everyone turned off their night lamps after getting changed and washing up. Eris remained awake, hunched up over a letter to her parents. She just wanted to let them know she got there safely and everything was okay, and talk to them a bit about her day. 

She signed at the bottom of the letter and handed the envelope to Cosmo who flew around the room a few times before darting out the window. Eris made sure to omit her encounter with the Hufflepuff boy, and her conversation with the hat. 

The moment she placed her head on her pillow, she began to drift off to sleep. Her body remained still, but her mind was still partially awake. She saw blurry figures moving in front of her eyes but couldn’t distinguish any of them. Then a dark shadow loomed over her vision, a cackle sounding in her ears that made her bolt upright in her bed. 

She didn’t usually have bad dreams, but it stirred up fear in her heart. She knew she had nothing to fear whilst in Hogwarts, but even if Dumbledore assured safety, she still felt uneasy.

She brought the covers over her head, thinking it would make her feel secure. She closed her eyes and tried to count as many sheep as she could before her consciousness drifted to a deep sleep.

When she awoke the next morning, she couldn’t remember how many sheep there were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter preview: With school just starting, Eris has enough time on her hands to practice for her Quidditch tryout.   
> But when a bludger goes rogue, she's met with a very tough decision.


	3. Quidditch Calamity

Arriving on a Thursday to Hogwarts was beneficial to Eris. She had one day of school the next day and then came along the weekend to relax. While Claire, Diana and Marion went off to Hogsmeade, Eris ceased the opportunity to train before the Quidditch tryouts the following week.  
In the evening when not many students were out, Eris would walk down to the Great Lake with her broom in hand. She found it too dangerous to train among the trees as she could easily hurt herself, and training over water was ideal for her flying style.

But it was always the same outcome. She was the fastest flyer in the school, but couldn’t get a good grip on her broom and lost control easily at first. With the water to cushion her fall, she was brave enough to pull it off. Marion always wondered whether or not the Giant Squid was having a good show watching her constantly plunge into the water, but Eris assured her that where she trained was too shallow for the creature. Marion still got a kick out of thinking it was her most loyal spectator.

After many years of practicing, her skills still lacked for the Slytherin team, but Eris was sure that this time she was good enough for them, and hoped she could get a chance.

Monday came around sooner than Eris had hoped, and she began her day with a potions class that she wasn’t too excited about. She got there earlier than anticipated and thought she could start reading ahead seeing as she had nothing else to do. She sighed as her eyes skimmed the text, but not much was registered that early in the morning.

“This seat taken?”

Eris lifted her head to see Luca O’Brien, a Ravenclaw, beaming down at her. She gave him a smile in return and pointed to the seat next to her with her chin.

“Glad I got a class with you,” he said, taking out his quill and book from his bag.

“Is it because I’m fun to be around?” she asked.

“Because I can cheat off you during quizzes,” he grinned.

“A Ravenclaw cheating off a Slytherin? Unheard of.” Eris rolled her eyes and closed her book, turning towards him in her seat. He hadn’t changed much since the last time she saw him. His sandy blond hair was a little longer than before, and he had tied it into a small bun that hung loosely near his nape. Over his dark brown eyes, he had a set of naturally thick eyebrows that made all the girls jealous, including Eris. Marion always plucked them for her, but it seemed that Luca was effortlessly handsome and always radiated a summer glow with his tanned skin.

He was also the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain. Eris envied him greatly on that aspect, but never once did she ask him for his help regarding the sport. She needed to change that.

“Luca, what exactly do you look for in new Quidditch recruits?” she asked. His eyes widened in surprise at her question but wasn’t surprised that she was asking. He had seen her try out many times and failed every year.

“Depends on the position,” he said and frowned. “You can’t be serious in trying _again_.”

“I am serious, and I will make it,” she said.

“I can’t watch you fail again.” His expression was pleading, and it tugged at her heart a little. He was one of her closest friends at Hogwarts though not as close as the other girls. They had met their first year during flying class when she accidentally plowed into him while on her broom. He often teased her that because of that accident it rendered him a stupid Ravenclaw.

“I’ve been practicing. If you could just talk with Cassidy-”

He shook his head. “She’s beyond reason as a captain. You know all too well no one dares to cross her path, let alone try to suck up to her.”

“Then help me,” she said.

“I’m sorry Eris,” he said. “But I really don’t think you’d make a good Quidditch player, no matter how much you train.”

Eris turned away from him, a little hurt at his words. She knew she wasn’t the most talented person out there, but it wouldn’t have hurt him to help her out a little. Unless he was afraid that she would actually hurt him again, or somebody else at that. She was sure she had improved immensely from her first year and even from last year. She didn’t fall into the lake as much, and also managed to perform a few tactics she had seen on the pitch when attending games.

A student passed by and accidentally hit the corner of Eris’ desk. The vile of ink on the corner instantly tipped and threatened to spill over when a hand grabbed onto it. It happened so quickly that Eris didn’t have time to react, but when she looked up it was the last person she was expecting.

Hajoon Kim, the Hufflepuff from the train, was standing over her, and carefully put the pot of ink back in its place. He gave her a gentle smile and sat down at the desk in front of her, taking out his things as the professor walked into the room.

“Hey, you’re bearing Gryffindor colours again,” Luca whispered. Eris hadn’t realized her cheeks were hot and quickly tapped her face in hopes she would get it together. After a moment, his face turned serious and he asked, “I thought you had a thing for Lupin?”

Eris instantly flushed a darker colour of red, and it took Luca everything he had not to burst out laughing as the professor explained the outline of the course. He shook his head at her with a pearly white smile, gaining the attention of many girls (and some boys) who couldn’t help but stare at him with admiration. As the lesson progressed, Luca lost more and more interest. Eris was trying to stay on track, but the boy in front of her was distracting her immensely, and the boy next to her was constantly trying to get her attention out of sheer boredom.

Eris flinched when the bell rang, and most of the students immediately sprang to their feet and ran out in a haste. Luca was also standing but was waiting for Eris to pack up her things and leave with her. Eris noticed Hajoon was still sitting at his desk, staring out the stained windows as if it were the most fascinating thing to him. She thought maybe she should nudge him, but then again she didn’t really want it to seem like she was staring at him since the moment he came into class.  
Luca and Eris walked side by side in the hallway, catching up and talking about the classes that they had. They had time before their next class to take a breather, and Luca suggested they go down to the Quad to sit on the grass and soak up a bit of sun. Eris laughed a little, thinking he knew exactly what she needed.

* * *

 

At the end of the day, Eris returned to the Great Lake despite Luca’s words. She was determined to show him what she was capable of, and she was going to have the last laugh on the matter. She wasn’t going down without a fight because she was the type of person to do things when others said she couldn’t.

As she arrived at the area of the Great Lake where it met the Forest, she took a look around. The lake was calm as the sun was setting on a breeze-less day, proving to be an ideal weather to train. There weren’t many people outside, and if anything she didn’t mind a few spectators. She was focused enough to not pay attention to them laughing every time she fell into the water.

She mounted her broom and instantly kicked off into the sky. She was steady and thought she’d admire the scenery first. The horizon was a beautiful mix of orange and pink hues on fluffy clouds, and she wondered if anyone else was watching it with her. She smiled to herself as Remus crossed her mind, only being able to imagine watching a sunset like that. To her left was the school in its full splendor, lights slowly coming on throughout the various buildings. There was a certain peacefulness to the evening, and she was enjoying it immensely.

Without another thought, she dove on her broom and barely made it to skim the water as she propelled herself across. She was laying low on the handle as she had seen the players do, and she suddenly slipped under it to hang upside down, attempting a Sloth Grip Roll. As she neared the other side of the lake where there was a dense forest, she swung herself over but lost her grip and her broom passed under her. She fell into the water with a loud splash as her broom hit a tree, clattering to the ground.

The contact with the cold water came as a shock to Eris, and she splashed about before realizing she could touch the ground. With a grumble she hauled herself out and grabbed her broom again, water trickling down her face.

“Too confident,” she noted. “Need to focus.”

She kicked off again, and began to make her way to the other end but started off slowly. She picked up her speed as she neared the center, and wanted to attempt a sharp turn once she was near land.

She immediately jerked her body to the left and her broom followed, making a large curve along the coast. She was stable with a firm grip on the handle, smiling brightly as she completed the turn and landed with a stumble onto the land. She cheered for herself, gaining weird looks from passersby but she didn’t care. She was starting to get the hang of it all on her own after not flying for the entire summer.

With another kick off the ground, she was set on trying a Woollongong Shimmy. It was a technique where a chaser would move in zigzags to confuse other chasers, something she had been perfecting since the year before.

Eris executed the move with precision and felt something was different. Her broom wasn’t slipping anymore and her shifts were sharp but stable. She continued like that until she was far away from the coast, and with a scream of victory, she pulled her broom upwards, flying up into the sky. With a very lazy and slow turn, she came back down, picking up speed back to land. She was so close to the water that it had formed a tail behind her, and before sensing she was losing control she came to a sudden stop.

She had done it. She was ready to take on the tryouts.

With a sigh of satisfaction, she let go of her broom and let herself fall into the water as a small thanks to the Lake for helping her out. But before she got back to the surface, something grabbed her around the waist.

The first thing she thought of was the Giant Squid. Was it trying to congratulate her on succeeding, or finally eat her as she kept disturbing his soundless sleep? She began to kick and thrash around thinking it would let go of her, and she screamed when she came up above the water.

“ARE YOU OKAY?”

Giant Squids weren’t supposed to ask if she was okay, let alone talk. She stopped moving and turned her head to see a soaked Hajoon staring back at her. She let out another scream and managed to get out of his grip, only to fall back into the water. He quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her against his chest.

“What the hell were you doing?!” he yelled. She stared at him with widened eyes.

“Practicing,” she finally said and pulled away from him.

“You- You what? But I saw- I _saw_ you! You fell into the water with a scream-”

“I’m fine.” She shook out her arms and hopped in the water, then looked at him with big round eyes. “See? Nothing broken.”

Hajoon stared back at her, then put a hand to his forehead. She had noticed he was breathing heavily and wondered how he had found her in the first place. He trudged out of the water and onto the land.

“Hajoon, right?”

He looked surprised that she knew his name, and a small smile tugged at his lips. “We met at the train, right?”

“I’m Eris,” she said. “We also had Potions together this morning.”

“And Transfiguration.”

Eris paused, wondering how he knew about that since she had Transfiguration the next day for the first time. He suddenly turned away and grimaced a little, looking as if he wasn’t supposed to say that. Eris raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment.

With the sun down, the air quickly became chilly. She found her broom and got out of the lake, shaking her head to get the water out of her ears. Hajoon kept staring at her, wanting to say something but missed his chance as she began to walk away from him.

“Wait!”

Eris turned around while wringing out her robes. Hajoon took big steps towards her but wasn’t sure what to say. She continued to try and dry herself off while staring at him.

“Please don’t think I’m weird- Or stalking you.”

“Oh it didn’t cross my mind,” she said with a smile. “But now that you mention it…”

“Please just listen to me,” he grabbed her by the shoulders, and she took a step back. He immediately let go of her, muttering an apology.

“You can’t go for Quidditch tryouts.”

She didn’t register his words at first, but then she realized what he had said. “Why not?”

Hajoon didn’t say anything and suddenly winced. Eris noticed it and reached for him but he took a step back. He was becoming weirder and weirder to her.

“Please, promise me you won’t,” he said.

“If you give me a valid reason not to, then I’ll consider it,” she said, losing her patience.

He stared back at her in disbelief. “Something bad will happen,” he said with a shaking breath.

She raised an eyebrow at him, and seeing as the conversation wasn’t going anywhere she turned on her heels and continued her way back to the school. Hajoon looked exasperated, tempted to punch the tree next to him. Eris tried to shake his words off, but they stuck with her no matter how vague they were. Was he in on some kind of plot against her? Did she not hear about a serious storm that was forecast during tryouts?

Eris picked up the pace and made it back to the dorm. Marion didn’t even question her state and continued to read a wizard magazine.

“Marion?” Eris said. “You remember the Durmstrang kid?”

Marion threw the book aside and ran up to her best friend. “Don’t tell me you met him.”

_He was ready to give me CPR_ , she thought. “He’s a rather peculiar fellow.”

“So you did meet him!” she exclaimed and clasped her hands together. “What’s he like? Is he brooding and mysterious? Funny? A bad boy? Give me something!”

Eris didn’t know where to start. “He’s uh, overly caring?” She didn’t want to out him as a stalker, maybe she just had the situation interpreted wrongly. A lot of people seemed to like him too, there must have been a reason.

* * *

 

 

When the last bell rang on Friday, Eris was the first to dart out the class. People almost threw themselves out of her way as she scurried down the hall towards the Quidditch pitch where tryouts were going to be held.

Ever since her encounter with Hajoon, she avoided him like the plague. Every time he would come near her she’d turn the other way and run as if she had forgotten to hand in her Herbology assignment (which she never did). She was walking with Luca once only to see Hajoon turn the corner and head towards them, but before he had the chance to notice them, Eris yanked Luca out a hallway opening and they both fell into a bush. They spent the evening at Madame Pomfrey’s taking out splinters, and Luca stared her down until she explained her behavior. She omitted details but said she had very weird encounters with him that made things awkward. Luca thought she had inhaled a potion too many to be acting that way, then again he wasn’t surprised after seeing the stuff she pulled trying to avoid Remus.

Eris made it in time to get changed into an unnamed Quidditch uniform and grab her broom. She was waiting in the waiting-tent excitedly, like a child receiving his Christmas present a day earlier.

Cassidy Jones, the Slytherin Captain walked in followed by the rest of the official team. She was an infamous Slytherin for the way she easily handled the Dark Arts, and she was also the most popular girl seeing as she was incredibly beautiful and had a powerful lineage. Eris wasn’t a fan of hers as her personality was quite nasty, but she had to set aside her opinions for the time being. Cassidy explained the rules as well as the things the team will be looking at while evaluating recruits. She looked extremely disinterested in the matter as if it were the greatest pain in the world to be hosting tryouts.

“One last thing,” Cassidy said, “We’re sharing the pitch with the Gryffindors.” She rolled her eyes while her teammates behind her snickered in distaste. “There will be one fundamental rule instated just for today. If any of you cross onto their part of the terrain or go out of bounds into the stands, you’ve automatically failed. Am I clear?”

Everyone responded as if they were in the military. The group of Slytherins made their way out of the tent and through the tunnel that led to the pitch, and Eris was ready to kick off in an instant. She had six long years of practice behind her and if she didn’t make it this time she was ready to get ‘failure’ tattooed on her forehead.

As they all stepped outside, Eris noticed it was raining. Hajoon’s words came to mind, but she tried to stay focused.  
Cassidy suddenly stopped walking as she arrived at the center of their half of the terrain. Eris peeked out from the side, noticing the Ravenclaw team was there as well with Luca completely soaked at the front.

“Jones,” Luca practically hissed, pushing his damp hair out of his face.

“O’Brien,” Cassidy said in a sing-song voice, knowing it would tick him off.

He glared at her and moved past to return to the Ravenclaw tent. As both groups moved away, Luca caught sight of Eris and grabbed her by the arm, startling the girl.

“I thought I told you to let this go?” he said.

“Bloody hell what’s with men and grabbing me,” Eris tried to pry him off, but he wouldn’t loosen his grip.

“I told you, Cassidy is bad news,” he said, glancing at the back of the Slytherin Captain. “You still have time to get back to school and forget about this.”

“I have to do this Luca,” she said. “You don’t understand what this means to me!”

“You will risk-”

“If one more person speaks to me about danger I will take a Bludger bat and swing it upside their head.”

Eris jerked her arm away from him and walked hurriedly to rejoin her group. Luca was panic stricken and reached for her again but she slapped his hand away. Her eyes widened in horror while he stared back at her in shock.

“Oh my god- Luca I’m- I’m so sorry I didn’t mean-”

Luca scoffed and turned away, making his way back to his tent. Eris stared back at him, the rain increasing over them. She suddenly noticed a horde of people in yellow on the other side of the pitch, cheering and chanting a name. Through the dense rain, she managed to see what they were on about, and her anger increased tenfold.

Hajoon was celebrating with the Hufflepuffs, his surname on the back of his Quitdditch uniform. He had made it into the team.  
Eris was furious. She hadn’t made the team after six years, and in the space of two weeks, Hajoon was being cheered on by his House.

“You! Get over here!”

Eris didn’t have time to curse him out when she heard Cassidy’s voice. She was staring right at her, and Eris realized she got side-tracked. She quickly made her way back to the group, slipping a few times on the wet grass.

“Alright, you’ll all be divided into groups to make things easier.” The Vice-Captain, Seth, took out a piece of paper which quickly became unreadable in the given weather. He designated people into three teams: A, B, and C. Eris was in Team C, therefore last to show her skills.

She watched as official team members challenged recruits. They played a short game, trying to see what they were capable of. Since the team already had a Seeker, Regulus Black enjoyed watching from the ground, occasionally hitting a Bludger toward a Chaser, which the team was in need of two at the moment. Cassidy wasn’t even paying attention, having cast a charm over her head to prevent her ginger hair from getting wet and filing her claw-like nails.

By the time Eris’ group was up, torches were lit up around the stadium as the night fell. Eris was feeling a little hungry and hoped that she could still catch dinner before it disappeared. Those thoughts soon disappeared as she saw the others take flight.

She kicked off the ground, momentarily noticing the Gryffindor team doing their tryouts on the other side. They were all laughing and looked like they were having fun, unlike the Slytherins who felt like they were in a boot camp.

Her eyes drifted to the stands, where she saw three umbrellas. Out of curiosity, she maneuvered her broom to get a look at them, and she almost fell off when she realized who it was.

Remus, Sirius, and Peter were watching the Gryffindor tryouts.

Her heart caught in her throat but didn’t have time to process it when Cassidy lazily blew the whistle, signaling the start of the game.

Eris’ mind went blank. She placed herself low on her broom and began to zoom past players, occasionally feeling herself slip but quickly regained control. A teammate passed her the Quaffle, and from the opposition, someone tried to take it from her. She locked her legs at the back of her broom and swung herself around it and quickly came back up. She heard a few gasps and praises, but her mind was set on scoring. She passed the Quaffle behind her back as another Chaser lunged for it and she quickly threw it towards one of the hoops. The Keeper was quick and easily intercepted it, but gave her a thumbs up for her tactic.

In the summer, since she couldn’t practice on her broom, she spent her days playing rugby with her father. She learned a few tricks from him, and though the Quaffle was different in size and shape than what she was used to, it was the same concept.

She performed the Woollongong Shimmy without any faults, though she did lose her grip for a few seconds. The Beaters were being merciless, especially with her, and Regulus was going to town in sending Bludgers her way.

The game was coming to an end, and as she passed by the judges on the ground she overheard them saying she was a shoe in to be a Chaser for the team. Her heart swelled up with pride and accomplishment, practically tasting her Quidditch name tag. She flew up high and waited at the back of the action as the front Chasers were passing the Quaffle around in hopes of scoring.

But what she didn’t see was Regulus giving the Beaters a sign.

Regulus gave a hearty laugh, and when one of the Beaters sent him a Bludger, he hit it straight towards Eris who looked the be day dreaming to him. At the same time, the other Beater also sent a Bludger towards her, high-fiving his other teammate.

Eris barely had time to react. She evaded one Bludger by throwing herself backward, but another ricocheted off her broom. It took her a second to regain a steady flight, and she was panting like never before. She glared at Regulus who seemed to be having the time of his life, pointing towards something else entirely.

Eris turned on her broom, and her heart sank. Time seemed to stop when she realized she wasn’t Regulus’ target all along.

The Bludger was heading straight for Remus and the others.

In the space of three seconds, Eris had to decide whether she should play the hero or turn a blind eye. But as she recalled, if she went out of bounds she would be disqualified. She turned around to the people on the ground, who had caught on Regulus’ actions and also began to laugh amongst each other.

“TO HELL WITH YOU!” Eris screamed at Regulus, who immediately stopped laughing. Eris propelled herself towards the Gryffindor boys, trying to catch up to the rogue Bludger. Everyone on her team suddenly stood petrified, watching her with their mouths agape. The rain began to sting against her skin as she sped up, and she could barely see the Bludger up front.

The Gryffindor team suddenly began screaming towards the three spectators. Eris felt her broom slowly slip under her as she reached a speed she could never have imagined. Her screech broke through the night as she hit the Bludger away with the back of her hand, an audible crack sounding from her wrist.

The last thing she saw was the boys’ horror stricken faces before plunging into the seats. She twisted her body, immediately closing her eyes and bracing herself for impact.

Her back hit the floorboards that broke as she skidded through, pieces of wood scattering and scratching at her exposed skin while the wood under her tore her clothes. Her entire body burned and she let out blood-curdling screams, praying she would come to a stop.

Her head collided with an object and her screams died out into the night.


	4. Intruders

Voices. That was the first thing Eris was conscious of, but she couldn't open her eyes. The numbness over her body slowly subsided, and at first, she wished it hadn't. She felt sore beyond measure as if her entire body was bruised by being thrown multiple times against a wall. Then, she began to orient herself and realized she was laying on her stomach with her head twisted to the side.

She felt something in her hand, and her fingers closed around it with great effort. There was movement and shouting. She couldn't make out who it was or what they were saying, but through the confusion, she heard her name being called.

Eris' eyes fluttered open. At first, she only saw light. Then forms came into view until they melted into blurry objects. She distinguished a small table with a blue vase on top of it holding a brilliantly pink colored flower, a glass of water and a stack of paper beside it. She began to wiggle her toes, then tried to shift herself, but a hand pressed down on her leg.

"You're alive!"

When Eris turned her head to the other side, she let out a yelp of pain. It felt stiff, like the worst torticollis she had ever contracted.

Marion was sitting on a small stool next to her, and Eris realized that it was her hand that she was holding. It took her a moment to notice her smudged makeup and red eyes, and her heart sank. Marion never cried.

"Oh dear Merlin," she breathed, whimpering a little. "I thought you'd never wake up."

Eris gathered whatever strength she had and began to shift onto her side. Every small move pained her to the point where she held her breath. Marion stood over her, hesitating to touch her as she moved.

Finally comfortable, Eris took in her surroundings. She was in the Hospital Wing, and by the way her body felt, it wasn't just for a few hours.

"What happened?" Eris croaked. Marion began to cry again but quickly wiped her tears away.

"Was absolutely horrific," she said, placing her hand over Eris'. "You crashed into the bleachers."

Visions flashed before Eris' eyes. The Bludger, Regulus, Remus, her broom, and then darkness. Eris lifted her hand away from Marion, feeling her bones creak like the gears of a machine that haven't been oiled up in a decade. She felt her face and noticed she had plasters scattered all over. She then twisted her arm, only to feel large strips of material that circled her from the front to her back where she had a lot of padding. That's when she realized she wasn't wearing any clothes, covered by a thin white blanket.

"Don't worry, nothing on your face will scar," Marion said, "Madame Pomfrey assured me of her skills when she was tending to you. She said it was the nastiest case she'd seen yet. A concussion, broken wrist and forearm, face covered in scratches… And if it weren't for your clothes your back would've been ripped off entirely. Pomfrey mended everything, though she said the cuts on your face and back shouldn't be dealt with magic or potions, your body can handle only so much all at once."

Eris registered her words, unable to imagine the pain but felt it's after effects. "How long was I out?"

"'Bout three days." Marion picked up a few cards from the table next to her. "Pomfrey almost lost it at the number of visitors you've had."

Eris cracked a smile, and it only made Marion cry even more. She began to wail about how unfortunate she was for getting into such an accident, and that if she could she would take her pain on for her. Eris assured her that she was well alive, and nothing seemed out of place. At least she hoped she wasn't going to grow another arm from her back.

"You know," Marion said, looking down at the cards. "I never knew how quite popular you were with the boys."

Eris rolled her eyes, thinking this wasn't the time to be bringing that up. Marion looked like she was about to say something when she suddenly sprang to her feet. "I need to tell everyone you're awake!"

She ran out the ward before Eris could ask any more questions. Curiosity got the best of her, and she wondered whether or not Remus had visited her. Then again, she also wondered how Claire and Diana were doing, hoping they weren't a mess like Marion. Her parents crossed her mind, and she wished her mom could be sitting next to her. She longed for her comfort, for a bowl of her famous chicken noodle and chrysanthemum soup. She wanted to hear her dad joke about her condition, a way of knowing he was worried sick for her but didn't want to show it.

More than anything at that moment, Eris just wanted to go back home.

Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall were the first to visit her. Eris had to insist that the accident was entirely her fault, never once mentioning the Beaters or Regulus Black. The House of Black was an infamous family, and she was afraid to get on their bad side. Who knew what would happen to her if Regulus were to find out she's a Muggle-born pointing fingers. McGonagall didn't believe a word she said, quietly telling Pomfrey she would get to the bottom of this.

The nurse helped Eris sit up, explaining to her all of the procedures that were taken to help heal her. The treatment for the gashes on her back would be taken the next day as to give her body time to rest from the extensive magic that had been used to mend her bones.

Eris gently reached over to her night table and grabbed the handful of paper, only to realize they were letters. Apart from Diana, Claire and Marion, she didn't recognize the others. There were 20 or so letters from other students, commending her on her actions. It made her happy, though she was disappointed about not receiving anything from a particular someone.

Marion later brought Claire and Diana over, and they all hugged her despite Eris yelling out in pain. They kept her company for a while, filling her in on their shared classes and giving her their notes. She was grateful to them as she didn't think she'd be out of bed until two days from then.

As the sun set, Pomfrey ushered the girls out and Eris was left alone. She had a very light meal and was then helped to lay on her stomach again. Applying pressure on her back pained her greatly, and she only needed to sleep on her front for one more night. She was more of a side sleeper, but Pomfrey advised her to sleep as she did for the past three days.

Eris was the only resident in the ward. It made her feel lonely and it had an eerie feeling to it. Hogwarts at night always creeped her out, especially when she didn't have any company. The room was dimly lit thanks to the small candles floating overhead and it made Eris feel like she was in Dracula's castle waiting to be devoured.

No matter what Eris tried, she couldn't fall asleep. Small noises kept making her jump in fright, and she wished that at least Pomfrey would keep her company, but she was resting in her quarters and was only to be summoned for emergencies.

The sound of footsteps echoing in the room made Eris' heart stop entirely. They were too hurried to be those of Madame Pomfrey, and the first thing that came to her mind was a dark wizard waiting to murder her with a machete. Why he had a machete instead of a wand, Eris had no clue.

She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking the person would leave her alone if she pretended to sleep. The footsteps became clearer as the person got closer to her, and she thought she was done for.

Then came a whisper, "Eris?"

The girl opened her eyes, only to see Luca staring back at her. She exhaled deeply as he sat down on the ground so that they were face to face. Eris had never seen him from up close and finally realized why all those people couldn't help but stare at him wherever he went.

"What are you doing here?" Eris said in a hushed tone, afraid someone would come in to check on her.

"I had to see you," he said. "I only overheard your friends talk about you after dinner when we were heading to the dorms."

"You snuck out past curfew just to see me?" she flashed him a smile. He scoffed with a grin, placing his chin on the mattress and staring back at her with his doe-like eyes.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Turner," he chuckled quietly. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"Apart from my boobs concaving in this position, I'm going to be fine," she said, and a blush crept up his cheeks, no doubt imagining it.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Why didn't you listen to me?"

Eris frowned and got up on her forearms. "How was I supposed to know that was going to happen?"

Luca gripped the sheets, looking like he was trying to stop himself from saying something. "I know," he started carefully, "what your opinions are on the Houses-"

"Hajoon convinced you to try and stop me, right?"

"Who the hell is Hajoon?" he said a little louder, but immediately regretted it. "You mean the new Beater for Hufflepuff? What's he got to do with this?"

"He warned me not to-"

Eris paused, her mind beginning to work normally again. Hajoon warned her just like Luca did, but Luca claimed they had never met. It only added confusion to the matter, but Eris had to confront Hajoon about what had happened.

Luca stared at her, anticipating her words. Seeing as she was thinking deeply about something, he sighed.

"I didn't want you to take part in this year's tryouts because of Cassidy Jones."

Eris widened her eyes. "I thought you said I wasn't good enough?"

Luca pushed his long hair back, then massaged the back of his neck. "Well, there is that too but… Dear Merlin Eris, don't get me wrong."

"I'm listening," she said, but her foot began to shake impatiently.

"Cassidy…" He suddenly groaned. "This isn't the time to be telling you this."

Eris moved to sit up, but almost let out a scream that would wake the entire school up. Luca stood up and tried to help her, but she shooed his hand away. It suddenly reminded her how she slapped him at tryouts and regretted it again.

With great difficulty she managed to sit upright, crossing her legs slowly. "You will tell me or so help me I'll hex your broom during your next match."

Luca's gaze dropped. "Do you remember the bloody match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin 'bout two years ago?"

Eris nodded, the memory vivid in her mind. She couldn't bear to watch the match. Accidents happened left and right and most of the Ravenclaws were injured during that time. All of the members of the reserve team got to play, and most members were reluctant to go back on the field in the following matches due to mild trauma. The referee missed all of the happenings, and Ravenclaws seemed to injure themselves spontaneously.

"Cassidy Jones orchestrated that."

Eris' heart sank. "What do you mean? She injured them?"

Luca stared at the bed sheets, recalling the events. "An injured player asked me to grab his things from his locker, and I passed by their tent. I overheard everything."

"Will you get to the point? Why the hell was she behind that bloodbath?"

"She instructed her team to do anything to get us off the pitch. She made them hurt my team for their gain. For a stupid Quidditch match that we ended up winning anyways."

Eris couldn't believe his words. No one could have been that… That  _evil_. She shook her head, denying his account.

"Maybe you heard wrong, maybe she was chastising them for the way they were behaving-"

"She's a Slytherin for Merlin's sake, Eris. You seriously doubt she isn't capable of that?"

A lump formed in her throat and her words were nothing but a croak. "Because she's a Slytherin?"

Luca's eyes widened as he realized what he had said. "I'm not saying that you-"

"I know perfectly well what you meant," She snapped. "How can a stupid house define a person like that?"

"Can you explain how not one Slytherin had the common decency to go against what she wanted?"

Eris stayed quiet. Who knew what Cassidy told them they would get in return for such horrible actions. She didn't even want to imagine what could have driven them to do those things and it terrified her even more if there wasn't anything for them to gain.

And then it clicked.

"You were afraid I'd become one of them."

"No, I was afraid that they might hurt you." Luca looked up and met her gaze, his lips parting again but no sound coming out. He was a terrible liar.

Eris turned away from him with her eyebrows knitted together, slowly shifting in the bed. She laid back down on her stomach and her head facing away from the boy. He stood there for a moment and then she watched him walk out of the ward.

She suddenly remembered that she forgot to ask him whether or not she had made the team. Unfortunately, she knew the answer to that already.

* * *

"Honestly, I predicted Cal would ask Raven out. Don't think it'll last long though."

Eris was listening to Marion speak as they were heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Eris was glad to finally be out of the hospital ward and back to her normal daily life. She did feel a little stiff from not moving for so long, but in a few days, everything would be back to normal. At least she hoped.

As they entered the hall, Eris felt a chill creep down her spine as her eyes locked with Cassidy's. She was sitting with the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and when the others turned around to see what their Captain was staring at, they immediately turned back with their heads hanging low. Even Regulus seemed very quiet and uncomfortable among his peers.

"OI!"

The entire hall went quiet, and everyone turned towards the Gryffindor table. James Potter was standing on his bench, a finger pointing towards Eris. "EVERYONE! GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE SLYTHERIN THAT SAVED MY FRIENDS FROM BEING BEHEADED BY A ROGUE BLUDGER! YOUR CHIVALRY WILL BE REMEMBERED! TO ERIS TURNER!"

The entire Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and claps, while Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw followed out of politeness. Slytherin remained silent, glaring at Eris who was changing colors like a chameleon. She wanted to run back to the hospital ward and hide there until no one would remember her name. She didn't mind the attention, but having the entire school know about her was overwhelming in the least.

Marion ushered her to an empty spot. After a moment, everyone went back to their conversations and meals. Eris slumped down in her seat and crossed her arms over the table, burying her face and letting out a long whine. Marion prodded her with a slice of bacon, and Eris immediately shot back up. She couldn't help the situation, glad that Remus and the others were safe, though it was unnecessary for James to do that.

The girls ate their breakfast, Marion leading the conversation as always. Eris didn't have much to say as she spent the last five days laying face down in a bed. She did enjoy the gossip Marion filled her in on but quickly went to talk about what she had read in the Daily Prophet.

"It seems He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is moving West," Marion said. "The Ministry is having a tough time discussing with the French wizard Community for a plan. Dad says it'll fall through."

Marion's entire family had a position in the Ministry. Many children attending Hogwarts had parents or family members working there, and it was a tough sell for Eris who had to explain what kind of job her parents had. Her father was supposedly a carer for Magical Creatures in Ireland, while her mother traveled the world in search of a very rare magical root. It was simple, and no one could look into it, though sometimes she wished she had come up with something a little more exciting for them.

"Merlin, he's so dreamy."

"Since when do you fancy Merlin?" Eris laughed.

Marion let out a chuckle and pointed towards the exit with her chin. Eris turned her head to see Hajoon speaking with another Hufflepuff, whom she recognized to be on the Quidditch team.

Without even realizing it, Eris got up and started walking towards the boy. Marion called back to her, cursing Eris for always leaving without saying anything. But Eris was driven by the thought that there was something very off about Hajoon. His warning came to mind, and she felt there was something behind the accident. Was he in cahoots with Cassidy and then felt regret and tried to warn her? Was it his plan all along to make sure she went for tryouts knowing how much she loved proving people wrong?

Her pace quickened as his conversation ended and he turned to walk out. She walked out of the hall, suddenly realizing she had an entire slice of bread hanging from her mouth. She must have looked like a moron running through the entire hall with food dangling from her lips. She looked around, but Hajoon seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"Eris?"

She whipped around and almost dropped her piece of bread. Remus was standing in front of her, his usual disheveled self in full splendor. She immediately noticed some fresh cuts on his face, and her eyes widened.

"You alright?" he asked, laughing. She quickly took the bread out of her mouth and shoved it in her back pocket. She probably looked like a goat caught in the headlights while eating grass.

"Me?"  _Who else you dumbass_ , she thought. "Uh, yeah."

He gave her a smile, and she felt her knees buckle. "Listen, I never got to thank you for what you did- I mean, we were all supposed to thank you but James kind of made it very… Official."

Her cheeks reddened at the thought of it again. Leave it to James Potter to completely ruin her morning and reputation.

"It was very brave of you, and a little stupid. Why didn't you just let us get hit by the Bludger? I'm sure that would've caused less damage than it did to you by trying to protect us." She thought about it and realized he was probably right.

"I don't think my conscience would've been clear if I just watched by." She dropped her gaze.

"Still, thank you for that. There must be some way we can repay you- Apart from announcing it to the entire school." He chuckled. Eris' cheeks tinted pink again, and she gave off a sheepish laugh. She hated herself for the mushy thing she became when she was around him.

"I guess," she said, "if I ever have a favor in mind I'll come to you guys."

"Just a favor? For saving our lives?" he raised an eyebrow, but she shrugged.

"I'm not really the type to ask for anything in return for kindness," she said.

He sighed, a sympathetic smile stretching across his lips. "Eris, what you did was heroic, not mere kindness. Honestly, if it's within our abilities we will repay you."

"Okay, I have something."

His face lit up and he waited for her request eagerly, whether he wanted to genuinely be nice to her or just not feel indebted anymore, Eris wasn't sure. She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts and the best way she could express her desire.

"Could we… Possibly be friends?"

It sounded a lot more pleading than she had meant it, and at that moment she wanted to dig a hole and stick her head in it. Remus frowned at her words, looking confused. "Just that? That's your great request?"

She nodded, but she was ready to run for the hills as to not be anywhere near his reaction. Instead, he gave her a warm smile.

"I'm a little saddened that you didn't consider me as one before," he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I guess it should be official. Nice to meet you, friend."

He gave her a bow of his head and stretched his hand out to her. She began to laugh and shook his hand, noticing warmth radiating from his skin.

Eris was about to say something when Marion finally caught up to her, eyeing her peculiarly as she noticed Remus was with her as well. Eris shook her head to make her go away, but Marion was having too much fun making faces behind his back. Remus caught her gaze and turned around to see Marion with pursed lips, but she quickly recomposed herself.

Remus excused himself as he had to get to class, and left the girls with one last smile. When he was out of sight, Eris practically melted into Marion's arms.

"What the hell was that all about?" she asked. Eris had a goofy smile on her face and she let out a long sigh. Marion rolled her eyes, straightening the girl out.

"You need to stop imagining your wedding day with that boy," Marion said. "Come on, we've got Dueling now."

Eris snapped back to reality. Dueling was her weakest class, not because she wasn't able to fight, but because she couldn't. Hurting another person made her stomach churn and preferred getting hit by spells than casting them. She dreaded that class, even more than Divination.

"I forgot to mention," Marion said as they were walking back to the dorms to gather their things, "Remus and the gang came to visit you once or twice while you were out, among other boys." She sighed.

Eris missed a step on the stairs and planted face first. Her cheeks flushed beet red and she was rubbing furiously at her nose while Marion couldn't stop laughing at her reaction, a few tears escaping her eyes.

* * *

The Duelling class was the largest Hogwarts offered. There were no seats, just a large space with a platform on which students dueled. Depending on the number of people in the match, the platform would accommodate it. It was the only class all houses shared, and Eris always found herself looking for Remus. Sadly, he was nowhere in sight.

Many students loved this class as it was an opportunity to showcase abilities and step up to a challenge. As they couldn't fight without getting in trouble outside of classes or even the school, it was like a field day for students.

"Alright children- Griffin please get off the windowsill- I want all of you to settle down!" Professor Wenlock held a hand to his temple, a habit he had when nothing was going his way. He had such a small voice that even when he was angry he just sounded like clown who inhaled too much helium during his lifetime. Eris pitied him because he wasn't a bad teacher, he just let everyone walk over him, including students.

"Today's duel will be a very interesting one!" Wenlock said once the student's settled to hushed whispers. "The names were suggested to me by an anonymous student, but I must say it is a divine pairing!" He paused for a moment, taking out a piece of paper from his long white coat. "Eris Turner? Where is Eris Turner?"

Eris' heart caught in her throat. Marion turned to her best friend, her face as pale as paper. Eris had just gotten out of the hospital, and they both knew she was going to head straight back after this.

Eris raised a shaking hand, and Wenlock immediately spotted her, ushering up to the platform. "Oh dear come come, we don't have much time- And, O'Brien? Luca O'Brien?"

Eris almost screamed. It wasn't possible. She couldn't have such bad luck.

Luca emerged from the crowd and walked up onto the platform. He looked disinterested, even a little disgusted. Something snapped in Eris' head, and she balled up her fist. Why was he looking like that whereas she was the one who was supposed to be mad at him?

But when their eyes met, her eyebrows knitted together. His eyes were glazed as he stared back at her. He tilted his head to the side, the corner of his lip tugging into a subtle smile. What was he trying to tell her?

"Bow," Wenlock said.

They both took out their wands, and per proper etiquette, they walked to the center of the platform.

"I'm not holding back," Eris said.

"You shouldn't."

Luca bowed, and Eris remained standing until the professor cleared his throat, making her bow as well. They walked to the ends of the platform and turned back towards each other.

"You know the rules," Wenlock said. "You may yield if it proves to be too much. No illegal spells, and no fighting with the intention to kill."

Eris wanted to give up before he even called for the start. She was mad at Luca, but not to the point of wanting to hurt him. She had never wanted to hurt him.

"LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!"

Neither one of them raised their wand. They stared at each other in a trance, Eris trying to communicate with him. But she couldn't read what was in his eyes.

A moment passed, and the class grew restless. People started to talk, losing interest in the pair. The professor's patience wore thin and he yelled, "IF NEITHER OF YOU THROWS A SPELL AT THE OTHER YOU WILL FAIL THIS ASSIGNMENT!"

" _Anteoculatia_."

No one had time to blink before Luca had sprouted antlers from the sides of his head. The entire room roared with laughter, but Eris didn't know if they were just mocking her choice of spell for a dueling match or they were genuinely entertained by it. Luca remained still, the same distant smile still on his face.

"I give up," Eris said. "You win this match."

Eris bowed and walked off the platform, much to everyone's surprise. Even the professor seemed stunned, as no match was ever this short, or uninteresting.

"Ravenclaw wins 10 points, but Mr. O'Brien fails the assignment," Wenlock sighed. Luca nodded, his antlers suddenly growing flowers making his entire house laugh. He couldn't help but chuckle under his breath.

Eris made her way back to Marion, but on her way, she passed Cassidy Jones and her group of friends. She was staring at Luca with a sneer, and as their paths crossed, Eris overheard what she was saying, and she lost it.

" _Calvorio_!"

The people around Eris let out a scream as they saw a flash of red light, and Cassidy was on the floor. Her hair pooled around her as her bare head shone as bright as a beacon, making a few suppress their laughter.

"TURNER!" she screeched. Everyone stared at the two, eyes wide as those of owls. Eris was fuming with rage, ready to send out another curse at her. Cassidy frantically tried to gather whatever strands she could, until she turned a murderous gaze to Eris. Cassidy reached for her wand, but Professor Wenlock stepped in front of them.

"What is the meaning of this?" he yelled, "You know very well it's against school conduct to use unauthorized magic! And on a fellow student at that! Ms. Turner, you better have a good explanation for this."

Eris didn't falter. "It's one thing to be associated with evil in Slytherin, but living up to it is disgusting. Why don't you share with all of us what you just said about Luca?"

Marion ran to her friend's side, her hand latching onto her arm, "Eris, what the hell?"

Cassidy looked around, eyes shaking. She stared back at Eris with seething hatred, and her eyes spilled tears. "You monster!" she cried out. Luca had made his way around the platform to join the crowd, poking a few students in the face with his newly sprouted antlers.

"Eris what did you-" Luca's eyes found Cassidy who was still on the floor, weeping over her lost hair. He tried to stifle a laugh, but it overcame him and he guffawed to the point of holding onto Eris so that he wouldn't fall over.

"Your actions are inexcusable and this will be solved in detention." Wenlock helped Cassidy up, who was holding onto a few bunches of her hair, face covered in tears. Eris knew that what she did was a little out of proportion, and she wasn't sure why she acted that way in the first place. It was the first time she had ever received detention, but she didn't regret her actions.

"Professor, can't you give me detention too?"

Both Wenlock and Eris turned towards Luca, who had regained his usual smile and arrogant look.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Mr. O'Brien-"

Luca turned to his best friend, Tim McMiller. "Sorry mate.  _Calvorio_!"

A flash of red light and Tim was sporting the same look as Cassidy. However, he was laughing loudly as opposed to the dramatic display of hysterics the Slytherin showed. He high-fived Luca, and Wenlock merely sighed, muttering about Luca getting detention for sheer stupidity. "Class dismissed!"

Wenlock shuffled Cassidy out of the room, Tim trailing behind hoping he could get his dark brown hair back. The other students gathered their things, the occasional fearsome glance directed towards Luca, Eris, and Marion who hadn't moved.

"What did she say?" Marion asked. "I've never seen you use a curse before, let alone ever lose your shit like that."

"She said she'd love to see Luca's head mounted on our Common Room wall."

Luca gulped, a hand slipping to his neck. Eris turned towards him, admiring her unfortunate work. There was now a birds nest on top of his head. "I'm sorry about that- This."

Luca laughed. "I never got to apologize for what I said. I think we're pretty even now."

Eris gave him a weak smile. She didn't want to know what kind of repercussions she would face after this incident.

A tall boy in yellow caught her eye. Hajoon was in the doorway, staring at her. Once their gazes met, he immediately left among the crowd. Eris' heart skipped a beat and pushed past Luca and Marion, the latter cursing her again. Eris needed answers, and she was finally going to get them.

She bumped into people and muttered apologies, her eyes searching for the Hufflepuff colors. She saw him as he turned a corner, and she darted towards him. The crowd continued straight ahead while she entered an empty adjacent hallway that Hajoon almost reached the end of by then.

"Hajoon!"

He stopped walking, and Eris caught up to him. He slowly turned around, his lips curling inward before speaking. "Eris."

"We need to talk," she said. "How did you know something bad would happen at tryouts?"

Hajoon shrugged. "No idea. Just woke up to moss growing on the left side of a rock and thought something might happen. Don't waste time looking into it."

He turned on his heels and fell into a quick pace. Eris wasn't having him run away again from her, and she grabbed onto the back of his robe. He didn't even notice her and continued to walk while dragging her behind him.

"You will give me answers or so help me-"

Hajoon stopped walking again, and he whipped around with widened eyes. Sweat beaded at his hairline, and his gaze was fixated on the other end of the hallway. He winced and blinked rapidly until he suppressed a gasp. He looked around before grabbing Eris by the arm. The girl protested and he silenced her by putting his hand over her mouth, dragging her to the nearest door he could find: a broom closet.

He threw her in first and followed, closing the door behind them. Eris was pressed against the wall, Hajoon just an inch away from her.

"You better have a damn good reason for this-"

"Quiet!" he hissed. Eris' heart hammered against her ribcage, and she wasn't sure what was happening.

And then she heard footsteps.

"Dumbledore needs to know where he stands in this war."

Eris pushed past Hajoon and pressed her face against the door, one eye staring outside through the gap between the frame and the door. She could distinguish a group of men, all in black.

"Can't we just kill them all? Who has time to ask about their blood status?"

"Patience, Kariv. Lord Voldemort knows what he's doing. A genocide destroys all hope, the death of a few instills fear. However, if a student stands in your way, show no mercy." He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth.

Eris almost let out a shriek as she realized who they were.

Death Eaters.

"We don't have much time until they realize we're here," a man with long pitch black hair and a pointed nose said. "Torture, kill, maim, do as you wish. The Dark Lord will be pleased we've infiltrated the school either way.

"I hear there are students in a potion's class that are just  _dying_  to get out of there," a stout man laughed. "Head to the West Wing, we'll head to the East."

A chill ran down Eris' spine and her eyes widened. Luca and Diana had potions in the East wing at the moment.

Eris moved to reach for the doorknob, but Hajoon was a little too quick on his reflexes.

"What good will it do if you die right now?" he said in a hushed tone.

"I have to protect my friends," she whispered back hastily. She moved again but he restrained her.

"If you think a balding curse will stop them, you are sorely wrong."

"This is different, I can at least distract them-"

"You will die!" Hajoon flinched at the tone of his voice. "If you don't have the intention to kill, you will be dead before you can even lay eyes on them!"

"Who said that?"

Hajoon grabbed Eris and pressed her against him as he slammed into the wall. He whispered an incantation just in time when the door burst open. The stout man looked into the closet but saw nothing apart from a bucket and three mops.

As the man eyed the wall carefully, Eris and Hajoon were under a veil that made them invisible. Hajoon's arm was around her shoulders, holding her tightly against his chest. She noticed he was holding his breath, and she unknowingly did the same. She could hear his heart beating at an unimaginable pace, and he also smelled faintly of peppermint.

The door closed with a bang, a broom falling against Eris who let out a small squeak. The footsteps began moving away from them, and both Eris and Hajoon resumed breathing again.

"If I don't do anything, innocent people will die," she whispered looking up at him. He stared back at her, his eyebrows knitting together. "If I don't take a stand, then I've sent my friends and innocent people to their graves."

"You escaped death once on the Quidditch Pitch, what makes you think you'll be successful again?" He said. Eris continued to stare up at him. After a moment, Hajoon bit his lip and let go of her.

Eris carefully opened the door and peaked out, noticing no one was there anymore. "Go get the Headmaster, I'll deal with them!"

She ran away from Hajoon who was about to protest again, but he quickly turned the other way and ran as well. The adrenaline pumping through Eris' veins made her think irrationally, and she wasn't sure what she would do if she crossed a Death Eater.

As she turned a corner, she slipped her wand out of her pocket. She took on a fighting stance, but there was no one there. She continued to run, picking up speed as she exited the West Wing and arrived at the foot of the staircase leading to the East Wing.

Her eyes met the black haired Death Eater and the stout man who were halfway up the stairs.

" _Petrificus Totalus_!"

A white light traveled across the room in an instant from Eris' wand, but the black haired man lazily swung his wand. " _Protego_."

" _Expelliarmus_!" The stout man yelled out, and Eris' wand shot out of her hand, hitting the wall and clattering onto the ground. "Shouldn't you be in class, girl?" he said but raised an eyebrow. "A Slytherin? A Pureblood, no doubt?"

Eris' breathing turned ragged, and she stared at both of them without blinking. No spell came to mind, and her voice even disappeared. Without her wand, she knew she was dead, and once again Hajoon's words were a reality.

"You heard what Vincent said. Show no mercy," the black haired man said.

"But Kariv, it's a bit bittersweet to kill someone from my own House," the stout man said. Kariv rolled his eyes.

"Then torture her, Moro," Kariv responded turning his back to them. "I'm continuing my way to that potions class."

Kariv disappeared into thin air, and Moro's lips twisted into a malicious smile. Eris took a step back but her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, sweat trailing down her face.

"Let's see," Moro started. "How about I crush your legs first?  _Confringo_!"

Moro pointed his wand to the ceiling and an orange light emanated from it, a part of the ceiling exploding over Eris. Large debris fell from up high, and Eris scrambled to her feet. She threw herself to the side, barely missing the huge pieces of stone falling near her.

"See, using the Cruciatis curse on you is too easy. I like to see my victims dance," Moro cackled. "Who said Death Eaters only like to cause mayhem? We like to be entertained too. And I personally like to be more  _creative_."

Eris spotted her wand laying on the ground just a few feet away from her. She began to crawl, and Moro merely laughed. " _Deprimo_."

It felt like the air suddenly collapsed on top of her. Eris screamed out, feeling her entire body being crushed against the floor. She reached her hand out with difficulty, trying to grab her wand. Her fingertips only brushed against it, but to no avail. She could barely breathe as her chest tightened, and she closed her eyes, thinking it would all be over in seconds.

An explosion sounded throughout the room and the pressure lifted off of her. She coughed repeatedly, finally being able to breathe again. She turned to look over at Moro who was laying on the stairs, slowly getting back up. There was a large hole in the staircase near where he was standing before, and with a dazed expression, Eris looked around the room. A pair of hands grabbed onto her and there was a flurry of yellow fabric around her.

"Hajoon?"

Hajoon stared at Moro with gritted teeth, blood trickling down his temple. Before Eris could scream out, Hajoon cast another spell but missed royally when it hit a pillar far away from the Death Eater. Hajoon hauled Eris up, "Are you alright?"

Eris nodded and reached to touch his head, but he turned away. Moro looked confused, shaking his head a few times before his eyes focused on the pair. Eris felt fine, thankfully the spell didn't last long to break every bone in her body.

"A Hufflepuff? Attacking  _me_? And coming to the aid of a Slytherin?" he hissed. "You'll be the first to go.  _AVADA_ -"

" _REDUCTO_!"

The staircase exploded and Moro's screams died out as the entire thing collapsed under him. Hajoon looked to the side at Eris, his mouth agape. She had found her wand.

Eris collapsed to the ground, panting. She had never cast such a powerful spell before, nor did she recall ever learning it. Hajoon knelt down and put an arm around her shoulders, making sure she was okay.

"Children!"

Both Hajoon and Eris looked to the opening that led to the North Wing. Minerva McGonagall followed by Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey hastily made their way towards them. Pomfrey grabbed onto Hajoon and inspected his head.

McGonagall helped Eris up, and she swayed in her arms. "Pomona you go on ahead and see if there's anyone else in need of assistance," she said, and the woman in question ran towards another exit.

"The school is safe thanks to Hajoon's timeliness," McGonagall said. "You have saved hundreds of lives."

The look on Hajoon's face was far from what Eris would've expected. It was ridden with guilt.

"What happened to you?" Eris asked.

"Crossed a Death Eater and he got me," he said. "If it weren't for Professor Slughorn, I would've been dead."

"Poppy, get the hospital ward ready. Who knows how many others have been hurt, or worse-"

"Minerva!"

Everyone turned to look at the top of what used to be the stairs on the second floor. Albus Dumbledore and a number of other professors stood in front of them, measuring up the room and it's destructed state. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, here is fine. I don't know about the rest of the students," McGonagall replied, holding tighter onto Eris who felt her legs lose strength.

"Who on earth destroyed this place?" Filius Flitwick asked, eyes narrowing at the rubble. A bloody hand stuck out from the pile of stone, a wand balancing on the tip of its fingers.

"I'm so sorry sir," Eris practically sobbed. "I only meant to defend ourselves."

Dumbledore's expression softened, but he stared at Eris with contemplation. His head slowly turned to the side, and then he frowned. He whispered something under his breath that Eris couldn't make out, and she watched him take his wand out of his pocket.

"Get them treated for their wounds. The school is on a lockdown from now on," Dumbledore said and turned to leave.

"What about the other Death Eaters?" Hajoon called out after him.

"They've been taken care of!" the headmaster replied, and he disappeared.

McGonagall turned to the boy. "Take her to the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey and I will check the halls for others."

They left the same way Sprout did, and Hajoon approached Eris who's legs were trembling.

"I've never seen such a powerful spell before," he said.

"I was so scared," she said, and without realizing it, her tears spilled onto her cheeks. She began to sob, thinking the both of them were staring death in the face. Hajoon pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. She cried into his chest as he slowly patted her back. She tried to calm herself down but she continued to shake, and only a few moments later did she realize she had just killed a man.

"I- I never meant to kill anyone!" Her hands gripped at his robe to the point of her knuckles turning white. She began to breathe in sharply, about to hyperventilate. Hajoon sensed this and he took a step away from her, his hands over her shoulders. "Look at me- Listen to my voice. You saved me, you saved everyone, alright? You were the hero, not me. You prevented a massacre. You protected everyone."

Eris calmed down, her eyes going back into focus. His dark brown eyes were boring into hers, and her breathing slowed down. He gently wiped away her tears and gave her a small reassuring smile.

Eris reached out to his face, touching the cut over his eyebrow. He winced a little but forced a smile. "It looks worse than it is, I promise."

Eris scoffed and shook her head. She felt tired and weak, not being used to such a huge outburst of magic all at once. Hajoon took note of her weary figure and turned his body towards the exit.

"Can you walk?" he asked, and she nodded. She took her steps very slowly while holding onto him, but after a few minutes, they hadn't even made out of the room. Hajoon sighed and said, "If you'll excuse me."

He hooked the back of her legs and lifted her off the ground. Eris didn't have the energy to even say anything and rested her head against his shoulder. Her eyes quickly closed, and all she was conscious of was the smell of peppermint filling the air around her.


	5. Chapter 5: Aftermath

The school's hospital was in a state of total panic as students poured in. The degrees of injuries varied, some more injured than others. Thankfully, no one was in a critical state or dead. All of the beds were taken by students with severe cases, and the others either sat down on the ground or helped out in any way they could. Nurses and professors ran from one end of the room to the other, trying to tend to everyone. Even the elves were mobilized to bandage wounds and deliver more medical supplies.

Hajoon carried Eris inside, and a few students turned to look at them in surprise and worry. The sound of people talking made Eris open her eyes, and her breath fell short at the sight. She couldn't believe the amount of damage the Death Eaters had made in such a short time.

She turned to Hajoon as she realized he was still carrying her. "You can let me down now," she said in a small voice. His grip on her tightened, and he shook his head. Hajoon scanned the room, looking for a spot where they could settle down.

He noticed an empty space on the other end of the room and he picked up his pace. Before anyone else could sit down, he let go of Eris who staggered a few steps before plopping down and pressing her back against the wall. Hajoon sat down next to her with great difficulty, and Eris thought he was more injured than he let on to believe.

She stared at him while his head rested against the wall with his eyes closed. An elf in ragged clothing and weary eyes approached them and asked what they needed, and Eris requested something to boost her energy and something to treat Hajoon's wounds. The elf gave a small bow before moving onto other injured students and then disappeared into the supply cabinet.

"How did you know where to find me?" Eris whispered, her gaze turning back to him. His chest rose and fell slowly, and his head began to lull to the side. He had fallen asleep.

Eris sighed and wanted to get him a blanket, but her legs felt like cement blocks. She couldn't help but stare at everyone in the room while she waited for the elf to come back. Students with bandaged legs and arms were helping others out, treating and keeping them company. Two Ravenclaw boys who sat next to her were holding each other's hand and crying silently, no doubt terrified of the situation. Her chest tightened and her tears prickled the back of her eyes. She wanted to break down as well, still unable to wrap her head around what she had done.

Her friends suddenly came to mind. When Hajoon crossed the room with her, she didn't see the girls or Luca or Remus and thought of the worst. She hoped they were alright, or at least still alive. She unknowingly gripped her robes, her hands trembling.

The elf came back with pumpkin juice and a bowl full of bandages, antiseptics, and scissors. The girl thanked him and the elf resumed his duties. She took a deep breath and inched closer to Hajoon with the bowl on her lap. He was still sleeping, his head in a full bow towards her. She took a few gulps of the pumpkin juice, thinking it must have been some old wizard remedy for replenishing magic. That, or the elf accidentally gave her a pumpkin serum that would make her grow tendrils from the top of her head.

Eris wasn't very gifted in the medical department, and so she stared at all of the things in the bowl in a daze. She finally decided it would be best to clean his wounds up and then patch it all. The most notable one was the gash on his forehead that had painted half of his face with his blood.

She took a cloth and drenched it in a liquid that smelled strongly of pure alcohol, and she reached to touch his face. She was unsure how to go about it, but then gently pressed the damp towel to his forehead. He didn't move as she began to gently dab the cut, the towel already a dark shade of red. The mix of alcohol and iron made her stomach lurch, already sensitive from the events that had unfolded before.

"You should be resting."

Eris gasped when Hajoon suddenly lifted his head. She clutched the towel to her chest, trying to regulate her breathing. "I'm fine." She took a sip of the pumpkin juice, then handed it to him. He also took a few sips before giving it back to her, pressing his head against the wall again. His eyes shifted towards her, noticing she was holding onto the towel with shaking hands.

"So how does it look?" he asked with a small chuckle. Eris stared at the cut and reached for it again to clean off the blood. His brown eyes never left her face as she concentrated on not hurting him, and the corner of his lip tugged into a small smile. She continued to gently wipe his face when her eyes met his. Her hand motion slowed, completely entranced by the look he was giving her until she stopped moving completely.

"You have cuts on your face too," Hajoon said. Eris' fingers touched her cheeks, and she could feel that her face was also injured.

She sighed. "It's fine, not as bad as you."

Hajoon suddenly winced and his face distorted in pain. Eris' eyes widened as she began to panic, thinking she had hurt him, but he waved a hand at her. He blinked rapidly and clutched his chest, and Eris was about to scream out for help thinking he was having some sort of attack. He grabbed her hand and shook his head at her while panting. Eris grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to steady him.

"Hajoon, what's going on?" she asked. He looked up at her, eyebrows furrowing as his breathing slowed. "Do you want me to get someone?"

He shook his head. "No one can know." He took in a few deep breaths with his eyes closed, Eris noting that it must have been routine for him if he didn't require any assistance. She felt uneasy with him, unable to predict what would happen next with him.

"ERIS!"

They both turned around, and Eris got up too quickly at the sight of Marion, Diana, and Claire running towards her. She immediately lost her balance as her legs hadn't returned to normal and fell into Hajoon's lap, who in turn let out a yelp. The girls lunged themselves at Eris and pulled her into a hug, including Hajoon who's face was pressed against Eris' neck.

"We thought they got you!" Diana cried out as they all let go of each other. Eris shook her head, then looked to Marion who looked worse than a lot of people in the ward.

"How you manage to get yourself in the hospital twice in one week absolutely astounds me," Marion said, inspecting Eris' cut up face.

"What happened to you?" Eris asked.

"Hajoon found me and told me to warn everyone," Marion said. "I jumped in front of some first years who had been cornered. I'm okay, just a few scrapes and bruises." Eris reached out to touch her face, and Marion pressed her cheek into her palm with a reassuring smile.

"One made it to our potion's class," Diana said, "Thankfully the professor was quick on his feet."

"No one got hurt?" Eris breathed. Diana nodded, and Eris sighed in relief as she covered her mouth. At least she knew Luca was alright.

"We were lucky to have gotten the message before any of them could get to us," Claire said. "But if I would've met one I swear I would've-" Her hands balled up into fists and she hit the air. Diana put a hand over her shoulder, and she exhaled deeply and turned back to Eris. "What about you? How come both of you look like that?" Claire asked Eris. The latter's gaze fell, and her entire body began to tremble. Hajoon put his hand over hers, trying to calm her down but she moved it away from him. The other girls noticed it and exchanged looks.

"We were…" Eris' voice cracked. "We were in the East Wing and…"

Without any warning, her tears spilled and she couldn't stop crying. Her hands covered her face in embarrassment, and she was afraid her sobs would echo throughout the room. The girls looked at her worriedly, Marion taking her back into her arms while Hajoon gave her an awkward pat on the back.

"I didn't mean to," she sobbed. "I just didn't want us to die."

"What happened?" Marion asked.

"I killed him. I killed a Death Eater," Eris said. Silence fell between them, and after a moment Eris continued, "I exploded a staircase and it collapsed onto him."

They stared at her with their mouths agape, at a loss for words. They couldn't believe Eris, the girl who would never resort to violence, was capable of such actions. The girls looked to each other in hopes one of them would have a clue as to what they could say to comfort her, but neither one of them knew what to say to someone.

"You saved both of your asses, you hear me?"

Everyone turned towards Marion with widened eyes. "You did what any normal wizard would do and that's to protect yourself. Did you have the intention to kill him?" Eris shook her head. "Then that doesn't make you a murderer, alright?"

"Marion this isn't-"

"No," Marion interrupted Diana. "This is exactly what a Death Eater would want. People consumed with fear and the thought that they are bad people. But you're not. You are the kindest, most stubborn, loyal Slytherin I know and I will not let this define you. You will rise above this and realize that you saved your life and Hajoon's and no doubt hundreds- No, THOUSANDS more because you acted quickly and were selfless. YOU ARE BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM ALRIGHT? STRONGER THAN ALL OF US."

Diana and Claire gave off small chuckles, and even Eris had stopped crying.

"If it were me, I probably would've accidentally exploded myself and half the school," Diana laughed.

"And I could've sprouted an ostrich from the chandelier," Claire said. "Think of the disaster that would've been."

She smiled sheepishly towards them. "Thanks, guys," she said, sniffling.

"Eris?"

The girls turned toward Hajoon. "I know this isn't the time but… Do you mind?" he said. "My legs fell asleep."

Eris glanced down, her eyes widening as she realized she had been sitting in his lap the entire time. She let out a small squeak and pushed herself off, Hajoon beginning to hit his thighs as to get the circulation back.

The entire ward fell silent, everyone in the room turning to look in the same direction. Students parted in the passage between the beds, and Eris could clearly see Dumbledore with a few other professors standing behind him. He looked around with a darting gaze, his eyes shaking. He cleared his throat and straightened out his robe, taking in a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm sure many of you have questions about the events that occurred today," he started. "First, for those of you wondering about their classmates, everyone unharmed has been gathered in the Great Hall for questioning and will be escorted back to their respective dorms afterward." He paused. Eris let out a sigh of relief, thinking Luca and Remus must have been waiting there as well. "Secondly, I must announce that the people that caused all of this were indeed, Death Eaters."

Gasps sounded throughout the room, then a chatter followed. Eris felt her stomach twist in knots and a nauseous feeling overcame her, the gravity of the situation finally hitting her. Dumbledore continued to speak but Eris had tuned his voice out, starting to get consumed by her own thoughts. Those Death Eaters were after Muggle-Borns just like her. If Moro had discovered her lineage and saw that she was a Slytherin, she feared she would've been subjected to hours, if not days, of torture before succumbing to her wounds. She felt her chest tighten and found it hard to swallow. If she hadn't acted the way she did, two families would've lost their children, and who knew how many more if Hajoon hadn't warned everyone.

"The Ministry has been informed, and so have your families," Dumbledore continued, "Extra precautions will be taken to strengthen security at Hogwarts, and this matter will be looked into extensively."

Dumbledore began to walk down the path, his eyes resting on the injured students. "All of you have displayed a great deal of heroism at such a young age, and we are all truly grateful that you protected this school and your peers."

The Headmaster had finally reached the other side of the room where Eris and her friends were, "Classes will resume in a week to give all of you enough time to rest and recuperate. You won't be allowed to leave the school grounds, which means all travels to Hogsmeade are forbidden. You may send owls to your families to let them know of your situation. That is all."

The chatter resumed, and Dumbledore's eyes fell onto Eris' small frame next to Hajoon. "Ms. Turner."

"Sir?" she croaked out, clearing her throat immediately.

"Once you're able to walk, I would like to see you in my office," he said. "And Mr. Kim? A word, if you please?"

Hajoon tensed up and got up while supporting himself against the wall. Eris wanted to help him up but he dismissed it. He steadied himself before walking towards the headmaster, and the latter put an arm around his shoulders to turn him away from the girls. They began to whisper amongst each other, Hajoon standing straight like a pin needle. While the girls talked amongst each other, Eris couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation though she could only pick up fragments.

"What… see…?"

"A man… Eyes."

"… Tell her?"

"… Time allows."

Dumbledore glanced back at Eris with his mouth agape, but she immediately looked away. He gave Hajoon a pat on the shoulder and left to visit other students.

Eris stared at Hajoon and once he met her gaze his head slung low. He balled up his fists at his side and then turned on his heels, walking away from the girls.

"What's his deal?" Diana asked.

Eris was confused as well. There was a lot more to Hajoon than he cared for anyone to see, not to mention how weird he'd been acting lately. Something nagged at the back of her mind, and she turned to Marion. "How did you meet Hajoon?"

"You mean earlier?" she asked. "I was walking in the hallway and I could hear him calling my name before he even appeared. He was running straight at me. Yelled a buncha things and then disappeared through another hallway. It's almost as if he knew I was there."

Eris began to piece things together, and her mind tuned out again. How could he have known to hide in the closet with her before those men arrived? He could have never crossed Marion when she had Herbology and Dumbledore's office was in the opposite direction. How did he show up just in time before Eris got crushed by Moro unless someone had told him she was there?

The hair on her nape rose and her jaw clenched.

He was a Death Eater.

It felt like time had stopped at Hogwarts. Not many students left the dormitories, and some were still recovering at the hospital. Everyone was trying to cope with the aftermath of the incident, and some weren't taking it too well. Eris had overheard students wanting to give in their resignation letters, afraid the Death Eaters would come back. She couldn't blame them, she had thought of it herself.

* * *

 

The day after the ordeal she had sent Cosmo to her parent's place with a letter. She didn't mention Moro or what had happened, merely stating that she was safe. A letter came back two days later, but it only made Eris dejected. Her parents were certain that Dumbledore would take care of everything and it would all go back to normal. But Eris knew that she would never be the same again. Nightmares plagued her every night, and she often screamed in her sleep. Marion always woke her up, and by the fourth night, Eris had found a spot on the Common Room couch to sleep in. Her screams still echoed through the night. The other Slytherins thought she was traumatized by the event, but Marion knew what haunted her was the fact that she took a life.

During the day, she spent her time in greenhouse number seven with Professor Sprout. The woman always had a cheerful air to her and tried to lighten up Eris' mood, and it did help her a little. Sprout was also aware of what she had done back at the staircase and tried to reassure her.

"I knew two boys- Brothers, they… They killed their abusers at the age of 8 with a curse. Terrible thing it was. They did it out of self-defense too. It took some time but, they learned to cope with it. You'll be fine, Ms. Turner. I know you will be."

Eris nodded slowly. For the time being, she just wanted to concentrate on getting through the year without ending up in the hospital every week.

Once Cosmo had returned from Brentwood, he wouldn't leave Eris' side. He sensed something was off with her, and continuously nuzzled her neck and nipped at her jaw. She always gave him a weak smile, and it looked like his eyes knew she wasn't okay.

The saw-whet owl zoomed around the greenhouse while Eris tended to Dittany plants. She had been preparing doses to be given to the injured students as they cured shallow wounds when eaten raw. She wanted to help in any way she could, trying to atone for what she had done.

However, Marion was right. If she hadn't done something about Moro, hundreds of students or others could have been killed, including her and Hajoon. It nagged at her though, that he was someone's son, or even had his own family. His daughter probably wondered why her father never returned home that day.

Cosmos' happy hooting came to a stop when he smacked into something. Eris turned around and her breath fell short when she saw it was Luca. Cosmo shook his head and flew onto his shoulder, giving his earlobe a small nip.

"Diana told me you're hanging out here," he said.

Eris hadn't seen him ever since their duel. She dropped her cutters on the ground and ran up to him to embrace him. Luca staggered, eyes widening at her behavior. In the seven years that he knew her, she had never once hugged him.

"I thought something happened to you," she said. "No one heard from you since the attack."

He pulled away from her, arms still around her waist. "Some friends were in a crossfire with Death Eaters on the fourth floor. Since the hospital was full, we set up camp there and I helped out. They were able to start moving again only this morning, that's why I came looking for you."

She scanned him, hoping he wasn't hurt anywhere. Cosmo stared at them, a small cackle escaping his beak. He gave a satisfied hoot and flew off to perch himself on a moving plant which then whipped him off with a vine.

"Eris, Diana told me what happened."

Her face paled and she averted her gaze. "It was an accident."

"I know," he whispered. "I'm here if you need me."

Eris nodded, her chin quivering. Luca brought her back into his arms, gently stroking her hair. She took in deep breaths, trying very hard not to cry as she had never done so in front of him. She wanted to scream out in frustration, she wanted to complain as to why it had to happen to her. It wasn't fair.

"I have to go," he said as his hands slipped off of her. "There are a few other friends I have to go see at the hospital. But if there's anything you need, I'll be either there or the Ravenclaw Common Room. So just come over or send an owl, alright?"

Eris nodded and watched him leave the greenhouse, walking back up the hill before he was out of sight. She sighed, thankful he really was alright.

Seeing as there wasn't anything else she could waste time on, she decided to lock up and head back to the school. She only had two days left before classes resumed, and she thought sleeping it away during the day would be the most beneficial.

Cosmo flew out of the greenhouse and hovered over Eris who occasionally glanced up at him with a smile. She knew her healing would be slow, but at least she was doing everything she could towards that goal.

She stepped onto the cobblestones that led to the courtyard, hearing her footsteps echo throughout the place. It felt so empty suddenly, like the entirety of the students disappeared.

Eris froze at the sight of Hajoon leaning against one of the pillars outside. He slowly lifted his head to look at Eris whose eyes were as wide as Cosmo's. She slung her head down and changed directions, walking towards the entryway to the North wing. Hajoon called after her but she pretended not to hear, her pace quickening.

She felt Hajoon grab her by the arm and jerk her towards him. She let out a yelp and Cosmo immediately swooped down and began to peck and claw at his head. Hajoon yelled out and swatted at the owl, and Eris took the opportunity to make a run for it.

"Eris! Eris, wait!"

But she didn't want to wait. He was a Death Eater and he was definitely after her for foiling their plans. She had to find a public space so that he wouldn't be able to try anything without others finding out, but with the school looking like it was deserted, she had run out of luck.

Hajoon caught up to her and managed to stand in her way. She swiftly turned back and ran the other way, but he did the same.

"Are you running away from me?" he asked. She stared at the ground and shook her head. "Then why are you running like your life depended on it?"

"I just remembered I have a Potion's paper due tomorrow so if you'll excuse me-"

Hajoon grabbed her arm as she tried to walk past him. "We don't have Potion's tomorrow. It was supposed to be yesterday."

Eris gulped. "Then a Herbology paper."

"Eris, we don't have classes this week. Now, will you tell me what's going on?" he asked. Eris gripped her robes and held her head down.

"Please… Please don't hurt me." Her voice cracked.

His expression fell. He took a step back from her, hands dropping to his sides.

After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Meet me at the edge of the forest tonight at 10." He moved past her and Eris could've sworn she heard Cosmo hiss at him. The owlet hooted menacingly until the boy was out of sight, then nuzzled Eris in the neck.

The girl frowned. She wondered what he could've possibly wanted from her in the forest. Her mind raced from one thought to another but was interrupted when her stomach growled at her.

She slowly made her way to the Great Hall for dinner, and the room seemed livelier than in the last few days. There were a lot of students compared to the before, granted some looking like mummies from being bandaged from head to toe.

Marion, Claire, and Diana were sitting at the Ravenclaw table, something of an unusual occurrence. Eris quickly made her way towards them and sat down next to Claire who greeted her with a hug. The other two reached across the table to pat her on the arm and resumed their conversation.

"I hear Dumbledore and the Ministry are going at each other," Diana said.

"Dad wrote to me saying that everyone is in a frenzy with You-Know-Who making bolder attacks," Marion said. "Everyone is wondering how they managed to get inside."

"The only explanation is that someone let them in," Claire said.

Eris shifted in her seat. She thought of Hajoon and the fact that she suspected him to have done it, that he was one of them. The temptation to talk to the girls about it was eating her away, but rather than make assumptions that he did it, she wanted proof.

A smile appeared on Marion's lips. "Eris, Remus is behind you."

Eris' heart sank, and she immediately let out a sheepish laugh. "Very funny." She rolled her eyes.

"Actually, I am."

Eris whipped around only to see Remus standing over her, and her face flushed red. He let out a chuckle and sat down next to her. "Did I scare you?"

She shook her head and took in a subtle breath, the girls giggling quietly.

"What brings you here, Remus?" Marion asked.

"I need to ask Eris something," he smiled back.

Eris imagined him saying that on two different occasions, but she knew not to set her brain into overdrive with high expectations. After all, he wasn't going to ask her to marry him after only becoming friends recently.

"People have been talking," he said. The girls' faces turned ashen and their smiles disappeared. "They say… They say that you killed a Death Eater."

Marion bent her fork in half. "You shouldn't believe such ridiculous rumors."

"Where did you hear that from?" Eris asked with a shaking breath.

"I've heard a few people mention it," he said. "But don't worry, if I hear it again I'll clear it up and say it's not true. I just wanted to make sure."

"Make sure what?" Marion snapped. "Would you have treated her differently if she did?"

Remus held his hands up in defense. "Of course not! It would've been to protect the school, right? All of us?"

Eris was at a loss for words. She looked down at her hands and bit her lip.

"You know what Remus?" Claire said as she stood up. "Point to me exactly who said that and I'll take care of it." She rolled her sleeves up, but before Remus could say anything, Diana pushed her back down on the bench with a shake of her head.

"What if he's twice your size?" Diana whispered.

"So what? I'll deck him in three seconds you just watch me!" Claire got up again, only to be dragged back down.

"You smacked into a door yesterday and it looked like you were going to die!"

Remus laughed quietly. "Really Eris, don't take it to heart. There are tons of rumors going around. It'll all clear up."

"I'm sure it'll die down without any proof," Diana said, eyeing Claire who slumped in her seat.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," Remus said and patted Eris on the shoulder. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get going."

Remus got up and walked back to the Gryffindor table next to them. Eris watched him approach his friends and he shook his head at them. James threw his arms in the air and shouted something, then handed a few coins to Sirius. The latter celebrated as if he had won a Quidditch match.

Remus turned back to look at Eris, but she turned away in time to stare down at her plate full of food.

"I think I'll head back," Eris said, pushing her plate away from her.

"But you just got here!" Marion cried out. "And you didn't even touch your dinner!"

"Lost my appetite." She gave the girls a small smile and got up.

"Should I go strangle him?" Claire asked as Eris left them, but Diana only sighed.

"We just have to give her some time," Diana said. "It's not exactly easy to deal with the aftermath of killing someone."

Eris made her way down the aisle, passing Remus and his friends with her head hanging low. The boy watched her leave with saddened eyes, scratching the back of his head. He moved to run after her, but James caught him to talk about a girl he was interested in.

Eris walked out of the Great Hall with her head hanging low and her heart feeling heavy. She thought she was slowly getting better, but it all came back to bite her.

She suddenly felt her arms hook with something. She looked up only to see her three best friends staring back at her with bright smiles.

"We're going back to my Common Room," Claire said. Eris' eyebrows knitted together, tears stinging at her eyes.

"We'll talk about boys and complain about Slughorn overworking us like mules. You know, typical Friday night chat," Diana laughed.

"And I'll be crying about how Tim still hasn't confessed his undying love for me," Marion sighed, making everyone laugh.

"Did you even talk with him?" Eris asked.

"We made eye contact for a total of 2.3 seconds. I've already named our children," she said proudly.

Eris shook her head while chuckling. "Thank you guys, this means a lot to me."

The girls flashed her a smile and led her to the Hufflepuff Common Room, their laughter echoing through the halls of Hogwarts.


	6. Chapter 6: Full Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys sorry for the long wait! Been busy with Midterms, but Chapter 7 should also be posted this week as I'm working on it during Nano~ It'll feature Hogwarts during Halloween!  
> Enjoy~

The girls improved Eris' mood tremendously, and she left the Common Room with Marion once curfew approached. She had almost forgotten about Hajoon until Marion brought him up, commenting how much she missed seeing his tall, lean figure and hoped to see him while they were in Hufflepuff territory. Eris' face immediately paled, and she had to come up with an excuse quickly.

"Ah. I forgot, I have, a thing."

Marion turned to look at Eris. "What are you on about?"

"Uhm, our, uh, prefect asked… Asked me to patrol the halls tonight. Because… He broke… Both legs."

"You are the worst liar on the face of the earth. What's wrong?"

Eris sighed, her head hanging low. "I have to stay out of the dorms after curfew."

Marion raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you break the rules?"

"I… Have a date."

Marion almost fell over and gripped Eris for support. "WITH WHO?!"

Eris placed a finger over her mouth, begging the other to be quieter. Marion leaned to Eris. "Don't tell me Hajoon."

"N-No actually…"

"Remus?"

"NO!" Eris caught herself and then sighed. She wished it were Remus more than anything, alas fate had other plans. And they didn't involve a candlelit dinner by the lake. "L… Luca O'Brien."

Marion burst into laughter. "Did he finally ask you out?"

"Finally?"

"Yeah, he's always overprotective of you, hangs around with you, gives you that look… Everyone thinks you're an unofficial couple."

"We're just going to… Talk. Nothing weird alright?" Eris inched away from her, getting ready to make a run for it before the patrol started, but Marion grabbed her by the arm and brought her back to her. She took out her lip balm and slathered Eris' lips.

"That boy looks like a good kisser so pucker up and stick out whatever you've got of that small chest of yours."

Eris gasped. "My chest is not flat!"

"Whatever you say, iron board." Marion laughed. "Now go get him tiger, I'll cover for you."

Marion pushed her ahead and left the other way. "They're at least the size of oranges," Eris grumbled to herself.

The lights in the hallway suddenly dimmed, signaling the start of curfew. Eris had to be quick on her feet to get to the Forbidden Forest without being spotted. She took out her wand from her back pocket and cast the same invisibility charm over her as Hajoon did when they were in the closet, and began her walk to the exit.

* * *

 

Hogwarts at night was just as creepy as Eris recalled from the night she spent at the hospital after her accident. It seemed colder, darker, and every noise no matter how small made her heart shoot up her throat.

It was only when she had arrived at the door leading to the courtyard did she realize how stupid her decision was. She had no idea what Hajoon was planning to tell her, or what he was planning on doing with her. But she was certain it wouldn't involve her lip balm.

She still wanted answers though. There were too many unexplained coincidences that involved him, situations where he was always conveniently there. The train, the potion's class, the Quidditch tryouts… And recently the Death Eaters. Was he following her, or was she becoming paranoid?

The invisibility charm had worn off and without realizing it she had left the school grounds and was walking down the hill towards the Forest. She was greeted by a cold autumnal breeze with the full moon illuminating her surroundings. She saw in the distance smoke coming from Hagrid's hut and a faint light flickering from the windows. She prayed he wasn't patrolling the premises, as she knew she was in for big trouble if she and Hajoon were discovered.

Eris' heart was pounding in her ears as she approached the edge of the forest. Hajoon was nowhere in sight, and she was starting to think it was a setup. If a Death Eater were to jump out and kill her at that moment, she swore to haunt Hajoon's ass until the end of time.

The sound of a branch snapping made Eris leap in the air and take out her wand. Hajoon emerged with his hands in the air, a small smile on his lips. "Should've known you'd never come unprepared," he said.

Eris sheepishly put her wand away. "The Forest isn't exactly picnic-worthy," she muttered. He tilted his head as a sign to follow him, and Eris fell into step with him. She had never been inside the forest before, and she was sure she'd never willingly enter it again. She could barely see in front of her because of the trees, and there were sounds coming from different directions that she hoped were just her imagination.

Hajoon caught Eris the second her foot collided with a fallen tree trunk. He quickly jumped over it, then helped her over as well.

"Almost there," he said, not letting go of her hand as they continued to walk.

But it wasn't almost there, and Eris' feet began to hurt. Just as she was about to complain to him, she could see the moon's rays again. He led her out of the forest and she saw the Great Lake in front of her, small waves moving in sync with the breeze. They were on the other side of it, and she could see Hagrid's hut in the distance.

"Alright, we're here," she said. "Now will you tell me why you wanted to see me outside of school?"

Hajoon's face was paler than usual, and he wouldn't look at her. Instead, his gaze was fixated on the night sky.

"In a few seconds, you'll see two shooting stars."

Eris frowned but immediately looked up at the sky. The sky was covered in a sea of stars, and she couldn't believe it when his prediction came true as two stars streaked across the sky. She looked back at Hajoon with her mouth agape.

"What's this about? I thought you were going to give me answers." She took her wand out and pointed it at Hajoon. "You lured me here to finish the job, didn't you? Oh my god I was right all along."

Hajoon looked defeated. "Not at all. I'm trying to prove to you something."

"What a lousy way to say you're a Death Eater," she snapped.

Hajoon regarded her gravely, "A Death Eater? What are you on about?"

"I thought it was weird but it all makes sense," she started. "How could you have possibly known to hide the day they invaded the school? And me practicing at the lake? You've been following me, haven't you? Keeping an eye out for your next target. It was all planned, wasn't it? Well you know what? You won't get me!"

Eris was about to yell out a spell when he said, "I'm a clairvoyant."

The spell fizzled. Eris stared back at him with widened eyes, her hand lowering to her sides. "A what? A clairvoyant?"

He nodded. "Someone who can see the future."

Eris tilted her head to the side. "Don't you mean a Seer?"

"Seers proclaim prophecies," he said. "Their abilities are passed down from generation to generation. Clairvoyants are cursed."

Eris' legs gave out. It was plausible. It certainly explained how he knew the Death Eaters were there, and how he warned her about tryouts.

"Is that… Is that how you knew I was at the staircase?" she asked, and he nodded.

"My powers are heightened by touch," he said and looked down at his hands. "When we were hiding in the closet, I saw scenes unfold in front of me. I wasn't sure if I'd make it in time, but I did."

Hajoon walked over to Eris and sat down next to her. She was staring blankly ahead of her, trying to wrap her head around it all.

"So, you're not a Death Eater?" she asked.

Hajoon let out a small chuckle and rolled up his sleeves, showing her the inside of his forearms. "No snake tattoo."

"It could be concealed," she said. She grabbed one arm and violently rubbed his skin, hoping there was some kind of makeup on it. Then she realized how stupid she must've looked, as it could've been hidden by a spell.

"Finite," she whispered. A red light hovered over his arms but then dissipated. There was nothing.

Eris wasn't sure if she should believe him, but his alibi matched the events perfectly. "If it's any consolation," he started, "I hate snakes."

She raised an eyebrow at him, a little offended by that remark. "Why couldn't you just tell me this tomorrow morning in the Great Hall?"

Hajoon's face turned somber. "The walls have ears," he said. "It's the reason why I transferred from Durmstrang."

"So the Forbidden Forest seemed like the ideal place to tell me your no doubt greatest secret. Great thinking. A+ on that." Eris got up, and Hajoon followed.

"I led you here to prove to you instances in case you didn't believe me. Like the stars. But you really can't trust the school anymore, not with what happened."

He winced a little, his palm pressing to his forehead. It was the same face Eris had seen him make a few times before, including his attack back at the Hospital the other day. He suddenly looked over to the lake and pointed to the water with his finger.

"The squid," he said.

Eris followed his gaze, and after a long silence, something moved over the surface of the water. Her breath fell short as parts of tentacles moved slightly above water, a dark shadow moving at the surface.

"Lucky guess," Eris said.

Hajoon laughed. "I wish it was," he said a little sadly.

"Wait, if you're a clairvoyant can't you see who let the Death Eaters in?"

Hajoon shook his head. "I can't see the past. Only what's ahead. Dumbledore asked me the same thing, thinking I knew what had happened. I only saw-"

A wolf cry pierced the night. Eris whipped around, her eyes widening more and more. She grabbed Hajoon by the arm, her entire body trembling. "Did- Did you hear that?"

"It's probably a dog," he said, but his voice wasn't so sure.

"That was a wolf. I know one when I hear it," she said. She gripped Hajoon tighter, her heart about to leap out of her chest. She was absolutely terrified of wolves since she was little, as her father accidentally traumatized her with folktales of wolves. She was well informed on the subject as to know what to do with an encounter. Her parents always laughed at her though, since there hadn't been wolves in the English wilderness since the 17th century.

The hair on Eris' nape stood, and there was movement within the forest. A snarl sounded, then the sound of paws hitting the ground violently traveled towards them. Another howl, then barks echoed.

A creature ran out from the forest a hundred meters away from Hajoon and Eris. It was walking on all fours, it's dark figure hunched. The animal sniffed its surroundings, then snapped its neck towards the two. Its eyes glowed a yellow-ish green under the full moon and narrowed at them.

Eris knew she had to stand tall and back away slowly, but she threw all of that knowledge out the window as she was about to make a break for it. However, the markings on the creature's face were so familiar it paralyzed her on the spot.

The animal suddenly stood on its hind legs, and Eris knew it wasn't a wolf, nor a dog. It was something made of nightmares and a curse.

A werewolf.

The thing bared its teeth at them, snarling and growling. Eris stumbled backwards, thinking it wasn't the hospital she was going to end up in this time.

"RUN!"

Hajoon grabbed Eris by the arm and sprinted away from the werewolf and into the forest. The creature howled to the moon before running after them, it's body hitting the trees mindlessly.

The only thing that crossed Eris' mind was that she had to do everything to survive. She took her wand out and cast whatever non-flammable spells she knew, and she came to a terrible realization that there weren't many she could think of. Hajoon cast a spell that made tree branches snap off and cover their path, but the werewolf was nimble on its feet and evaded them easily, though it did slow it down. Eris was screaming for help, knowing full well she and Hajoon were going to die. She just wished she could've seen her parents one last time.

From the corner of Eris' eye, she saw black figures running alongside them a few feet away. She turned her head to look at it when her foot caught something and she somersaulted forward. Hajoon was too far away from her to make it in time to help her, and he screamed out for her to use a spell.

She reached for her wand but it wasn't in her pocket anymore. The werewolf jumped toward her and she shielded her face with her arms. But the impact never came.

There was barking and a long whine. Eris opened her eyes and her breath fell short as she saw a large black dog blocking the werewolf's path and a deer standing in front of her. The dog was barking madly at the werewolf, and the latter kept eyeing Eris, trying to charge at her but the dog would push it back. The deer turned around, it's dark brown eyes staring at Eris. It nodded repeatedly, then stomped its front legs.

Eris knew what that meant, and she scrambled to her feet. Hajoon appeared and grabbed her by the arm, and ran as fast as he could, practically dragging the girl. Eris glanced back at the animals and caught them running the other direction, and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Hajoon lost his footing and dragged Eris down with him as he tumbled a few feet. They were thrown out of the forest with grunts and screams, taking a moment to come back to their senses.

"Are you alright?" Hajoon asked. Eris ran her hands over her body, but there were only a few scratches and bruises. She nodded and got up, helping him as well.

"You kids got a lotta explainin' to do."

Eris almost let out a scream as a shadow loomed over them. Hagrid was holding a lantern that faintly illuminated him, and Eris was not surprised at her luck anymore.

"Hagrid, Sir, there's a werewolf in there. Someone has to do something! We could've been killed!"

Hagrid tensed up. "You shouldn' have been in there in the first place, and after curfew no less. I'm bringin' you two back to the school and you will be dealt with in the mornin'."

"But- A werewolf-!"

"Back to school with you lot!" Hagrid growled.

Eris didn't have the strength to protest, but she shot Hajoon a murderous look. Ever since he had appeared her luck was down in the dumps, and her entire academic career was suffering.

The two silently followed the gamekeeper back to the school. They were subjected to a long lecture over how the Forest is off limits for a reason, and that they shouldn't have been playing around so carelessly what with everything going on. Eris and Hajoon listened with their heads hanging low, weary and aching from their ordeal.

Hagrid opened the door to the school, but as Eris was about to follow him inside she bumped into him.

"H-Headmaster Dumbledore," Hagrid breathed out. "What a pleasure to see you, Sir."

Eris' eyes widened, thinking she had hit rock bottom and that her day couldn't get any worse. She peaked out around Hagrid, seeing that Dumbledore was standing in front of him.

"Hagrid," Dumbledore said. "What brings you here at this hour?"

Hagrid reached behind him and pushed both Eris and Hajoon forward. "These kids were in the Forest, Sir. I came to escort them back and was plannin' on punishin' them accordingly in the mornin'."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "And what business could you possibly have in the Forest at this hour?"

"It was my fault," Hajoon said. "I had to-"

"There's a werewolf in the Forest, Sir," Eris cut him off. "We were almost killed."

"I'm sure it wasn't," Dumbledore said.

"We both saw it with our own eyes!" Eris cried out. "Something has to be done, what if it had gotten us?"

Dumbledore's gaze shifted momentarily to Hagrid, then back to Eris.

"The Forest plays many tricks on those who walk through it," he said calmly. "But for your transgressions, you will follow me to my office right away." He turned to Hagrid. "Thank you for your hard work," he said. "You may go now, have a good night's sleep."

Hagrid laughed and gave a small bow, leaving while closing the door behind him.

Dumbledore began to walk without a word, and the two students followed. The Forest couldn't have made an illusion that she and Hajoon saw, could it? It sounded and looked so real. The deer thumping its hooves on the ground in front of her made the ground shake a little, the smell of animals was clearly in the air.

Dumbledore was lying.

* * *

 

Dumbledore sat down at his desk and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You were supposed to come see me once you were better," he said softly. Eris had completely forgotten about that as she was dealing with her own issues.

"I'm sorry Sir," she whispered.

"You're here now, let's put the Forest matter aside for the time being," he said. "There is another matter to discuss tonight."

Eris frowned. She was sure that her goose was cooked, and she wondered what could've been more important than addressing her late night escapades in the Forest.

"Sir, there was a werewolf in the Forest. I'm sure of it. I can swear on Cosmo's life."

Dumbledore held out his hand. "Eris, the incident at the staircase needs to be addressed."

Her face paled. She had completely forgotten about it for a moment, and the guilt and anguish washed over her like a tidal wave. She felt her chest tighten, and she couldn't look him in the eye.

"Tell me," Dumbledore continued. "Was there anyone else there that saw your face?"

"Hajoon," her voice was nothing but a whisper. "And-" Her eyes widened, her words stuck in her throat. "There was another."

Dumbledore's eye twitched. "Another? Apart from the one you killed?"

She flinched at his last word and nodded. "Yes. A man named Kariv if I'm not mistaken."

Dumbledore stared blankly at her. "I was afraid of that," he murmured.

"Sir, I think it would be best to just tell her," Hajoon said.

Eris turned around to look at him. "What do you mean?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Eris, with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on the rise, there was something that had to be done. I have gathered a number of talented wizards and witches in order to fight him, to protect people against Death Eaters. I have created something called The Order of the Phoenix."

Eris looked to Hajoon. "You knew about this?"

He nodded. "I found out the day of the attack because-"

"I asked him to keep an eye on you," Dumbledore said.

"You were spying on me?" she stared at the boy indignantly.

"Do not bear any resentment against Mr. Kim, Eris. It was on my account entirely. I wanted to make sure they weren't trying to-"

"To recruit me?" Eris asked, and Dumbledore looked at her in surprise. "I can assure you, Sir, I would never have anything to do with Death Eaters. Ever." Her voice was firm, almost disgusted that he would ever assume that. Her, a Muggle-born, affiliated with Death Eaters.

"We are merely taking all the investigative steps to find out what really happened on that day," Dumbledore said.

Eris put a hand over her face. The situation was frustrating, to say the least, and she couldn't believe she was being suspected for the infiltration. Or suspected in general.

"Sir, with all due respect-"

"Let me finish," Dumbledore said. "After your ordeal at the staircase, the Order members and I have come to a decision, and we would like you to be a part of our cause."

Eris stared back at him with her mouth agape. "A member of your order?" she asked, and he nodded. "No, thank you."

Hajoon looked at her with his eyes widened, and Dumbledore also stared back in surprise.

"I don't want to be part of anything," she said. "I want a normal life. I want to graduate from this forsaken school with all of my limbs intact and without having another werewolf encounter. I want to graduate with astounding grades and get a job in the Herbology department at the Ministry. I will have no part in something that will cost me my life, so I bid you goodnight, Headmaster."

She turned on her heels and headed for the door. Hajoon caught her arm and she jerked it away. "Don't you dare touch me."

"Eris, please consider-"

"No!" she shouted. Dumbledore got up from his chair, eyeing the pair. "I'm sick and tired of getting into things that go beyond my imagination. I want to die of old age, not in some war. I value my life, you hear me?"

"What about the others?"

Eris and Hajoon turned to Dumbledore who had walked around his desk and was standing closer to them. "You don't think the Order members also value their lives?"

Eris stood quietly.

"The Order members wish to make the world a better place, to rid it of Death Eaters and those who prey on innocent people because of their bloodline. Don't you share the same thoughts?"

Eris' chest tightened. Death Eaters were targeting her people. People like the ones she grew up with. Like her neighbors. Like her parents.

Tears prickled her eyes at the thought of them. "I can't fight," she said. "I just can't."

"Your skills are nothing to take lightly, Eris. With the proper training and guidance, you can be a very powerful witch."

"But I don't want to," she said. "I can't hurt anyone-"

But she could. She did it to Moro. She made an entire staircase collapse around him that killed him. She was capable of terrible things that kept her awake at night.

"You can do so much good, Eris. With your skills, you can save thousands of lives. Your bravery saved an entire school, why should it end there? You can save your people, Eris."

Eris' chin quivered slightly. "Will you give me time to think about it?"

Dumbledore nodded, and without another word, Eris stormed out of the office. Hajoon was about to follow her when Dumbledore spoke up, "You'll have to protect her for the time being."

"Sir?"

"The Death Eaters may return with a clear target in mind. And if you wouldn't mind trying to persuade her to join the Order, it would be beneficial to her, and of service to me."

Hajoon lingered for a moment before he left through the door. With a swing of his hand, Dumbledore closed the door as he was heading back to his chair. He slumped down in it, rubbing at his temples.

"Minerva, prowling doesn't suit you."

A tabby cat appeared near a pile of books, it's glowing green eyes staring at Dumbledore. McGonagall shifted back to her human form with a scowl on her face, walking around the headmaster's desk to face him. "You know what my stance is on recruiting children to your Order, Albus, yet you still go on ahead with it?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "It's a form of protection for her."

"What protection could she possibly have now that she will be at the front line of the war? A war she or any other student should not be taking part in at this age!"

"Another Death Eater has seen her face, Minerva. It won't be long before they realize who killed one of their own."

"They would never suspect a child to have bested him," she hissed. "You are using excuses for a cause you cannot take into your own hands alone."

"And if they do find out? What happens then? Will you be the one to write to her parents that their child was murdered?"

McGonagall's mouth clamped shut. She took in a few deep breaths before continuing. "You need to stop looking at people as assets, Albus. They are children for crying out loud!"

"With an immense power that must be controlled," he said calmly. "If they fall into the hands of Death Eaters, it could be disastrous for everyone."

"You are only considering what they would do if they joined them. I don't think they would take a second to even ask what they're capable of if they find out what the girl is."

"Precisely why she should be in our midst, Minerva." Dumbledore gave her a small smile. "I don't intend on making her fight in the war, I just want to make sure she doesn't change sides."

"You're keeping her in check? She isn't a dog!"

"You're being overly-emotional, Minerva. Don't over analyze this situation. The clairvoyant and the girl will be protected under the Order, and we will also benefit from their abilities to some extent. Nothing more."

McGonagall shook her head at him. Dumbledore got up, and the lights dimmed. "Goodnight, Minerva."

The Headmaster left and McGonagall was alone with her thoughts. She glanced at the Sorting Hat, her lips curling inward.

"If you had sorted her properly maybe we wouldn't have been in this mess," she hissed. The Sorting Hat moved to look at her, a bump that would've been his brow moving upward. She gave it one last look before leaving out the front door.


	7. Chelmondiston Charge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eris deals with the aftermath of the werewolf attack, and gets one more chance at playing Quidditch.

Classes resumed as if nothing had happened. No one spoke of the incident, nor was anything related to it ever mentioned. It was as if everyone's memories had been wiped out.

Eris couldn't stand it. She was suffering all on her own and she didn't have anyone to turn to. She had come to terms with Moro's death, or at least she kept telling herself that. Their ordeal in the forest with the werewolf made her want to scream out to the students in the Great Hall that everyone was in danger, that Hogwarts wasn't the safe haven everyone thought it to be. And the subject of the Order made her absolutely furious, especially that Dumbledore sent Hajoon to spy on her as if she were a criminal.

She did consider joining for a brief moment, as Dumbledore's words floated in her mind for the past few days. You can save your people, Eris.

She shook her head. She managed to save her and Hajoon's life once. She wasn't a fighter, it was just instinct. She didn't have it in her heart to become a weapon, or to kill again. She just wanted a normal life, or at least, as normal as it could get as a wizard.

Eris sat in Muggle Studies on a Monday morning, and though she was always attentive and excelled in the class, she stared out the stained windows to the Forbidden Forest. She wondered what other creatures roamed among the trees, and whether or not they ever left to go hunting students.

Professor Oxoleus was leaning against the front of his desk while reading out loud to the class. All of the girls (and a few boys) couldn't help but stare at him dreamily, because not only was he tall and handsome, he had a deep voice too. Eris also thought he was very attractive with his stubble and blue eyes, but she was very drawn to his passion for muggle literature. She wasn't much of a reader, well she didn't have the time because of school work and always found it a challenge to get into. But there was something about the way his eyes lit up when taking apart texts and giving them a deeper meaning than the author ever intended.

"… And if you all don't mind, I'd like to read one of my favourite passages," Oxoleus said. Eris continued to stare out the window, sighing every now and then. But as the professor continued to read, Eris found herself listening in as well.

"And when the full moon rose into the sky, howls sounded through the night. Bones cracked into a painful formation. Human cries became snarls and growls that traveled the air, and a beast rose onto it's hind legs. Half human, half-wolf. It ran in search of it's next victim, an animal hunting for it's prey. And it found it, toyed with it slowly by sinking it's claws into human flesh, reveling in the screams that echoed in it's ears. And in one fell swoop, it bit the human's neck-"

"NO!"

A flurry of papers rose and everyone whipped around towards Eris who was standing as all of her notes floated back down around her. Sweat beaded at her hairline and she was breathing heavily, head reeling.

"Ms. Turner?"

Eris looked to Professor Oxoleus who was walking towards her. All of the students in the classroom stared at her, some laughing, some whispering to each other. She caught Remus' gaze, and he looked even paler than usual.

"Is there a reason for your sudden outburst?" Oxoleus asked.

"I- I'm sorry sir, I'm terrified of wolves," Eris said sheepishly.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but do refrain from interrupting the class. It's just a story."

A story she almost lived through firsthand.

* * *

 

When class was over, Eris gathered her things in a flash and ran out into the hallway. She had embarrassed herself enough, she didn't need anyone teasing her for it. She only wished her day couldn't get any worse.

At the end of the hallway stood Hajoon, towering over the walking students. Eris met his gaze and she quickly turned the other way, picking up her pace. She hadn't spoken to him since being with him in Dumbledore's office. Though she just wanted to curse him out for everything he had done, she wasn't in the mood to even look at him.

As she passed by a student reading the Daily Prophet, the front page caught her eye and she slowly walked closer to them. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the headline, "Increasing Muggle Murders - Dark Wizards On The Prowl".

Eris' heart leapt into her throat. She staggered backwards and bumped into someone.

"Don't tell me you're avoiding me again."

She turned to see Hajoon peering down at her, and she couldn't help but glare at him.

"I have nothing to say to you." Eris turned back to the students reading and asked if she could join, and the Hufflepuff gladly stepped aside so that she could read with him.

The murders happened at random all throughout Europe, and the Ministry predicted the movement to continue in the South of England. Eris suddenly felt sick, as that's where her parents lived. The Daily Prophet warned underage wizards to avoid venturing out alone, and warned everyone else to not engage with any Dark Wizard that they meet and to alert the Ministry as soon as possible.

"Still thinking about the Order?"

Eris looked to Hajoon, and anger flared up in her.

"I am certainly not joining this stupid Order!" She yelled, and everyone in the hallway looked in her direction. Hajoon leapt towards her and put a hand over her mouth, dragging her to a less crowded area.

"No one can know about the Order!" He said as he let go of her.

"Why did you agree to spy on me?!"

Her question took him aback. He looked away from her, fists bunching up at his sides. After a moment, he said, "Meet me in front of the Great Hall in an hour."

"I will not," she said. "The last time you didn't want to tell me anything on the spot we almost ended up getting killed by a werewolf!"

"But I'm hungry," he said flatly.

Her expression softened, and she sighed. Whatever his reason was, it was going to have to wait until after lunch.

* * *

 

Marion elbowed Eris in the ribs, and she jumped up with a yelp.

"You daydreaming about Luca again?" she laughed. "Your soup has gone cold!"

Eris glanced down, noticing her pumpkin soup was at room temperature. She pushed it away and grabbed a piece of turkey with cranberry sauce, and mindlessly piled on mashed potatoes until she had a mountain of it covering her plate. Marion, with her small salad and pan seared fish, stared at her in horror. Eris didn't want to seem overly concerned with what was happening in the Muggle world, and risk exposing her identity. Marion didn't seem like she was too interested in the matters anyway.

"Alright, what gives? Why are you in a daze ever since- Don't tell me, he broke your heart already?"

Eris gave a weak smile. "No no, I just… I lost my wand and it's a pain to get a new one." She avoided Marion's gaze. "I think- Wait, Luca and I aren't together-"

"SO HERE'S MY SLYTHERIN GIRLFRIEND!"

Luca sat down next to Eris and put an arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly against him. Eris' eyes were as wide as an owl's, and she couldn't believe what was happening. She whipped around to see him smiling mischievously at her.

"Ah, young love," Marion sighed. "So have you two kissed yet?"

Eris' face flushed red and she shook her head fervently, almost smacking Luca in the jaw.

"Aww schnoukums no need to hide our UNDYING LOVE FOR EACH OTHER!"

People began to whisper and stare at them, and Eris could've been part of the Gryffindor flag. She placed her hands over his mouth and swore at him. She jumped off the bench and dragged him away from Marion, a hand over his mouth in case he would scream anything else to the entire Great Hall.

"Are you insane?" she hissed as they got out into the hallway.

He chuckled. "You can imagine my surprise when Marion congratulated me on a supposed girlfriend."

Eris slapped herself in the face. "Sorry about that."

He grinned back at her. "I didn't know you felt that way about me. The least you could've done is warn me you've told Marion. I could've at least prepared what our wedding day would look like."

Eris smacked him on the arm, and he cackled away. She couldn't help but also laugh, thinking she really screwed up this time.

"It's a long story," she finally said.

"Do tell, sweet girlfriend of mine." He smirked.

Eris walked over to a window, and Luca leaned against the sill while she stood in front of him.

"I had to sneak out of the castle after curfew and Marion started asking questions," she finally said.

"So your first instinct was to say we were going out?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I thought it was the safest since you would understand the circumstances. I mean it's impossible, you and me anyway," she chuckled to herself. Luca's face fell for a moment.

"Anyway," she continued. "Hajoon asked me to meet him in the Forest."

He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "What for?"

But before Eris could speak, the sound of wheels screeching on the ground echoed throughout the hallway. Eris didn't have time to look before Luca threw her aside, and was swept up by a figure on a wagon being pulled by a few Hufflepuff students.

Luca was held around the waist, dangling over the side of the wagon for a moment before he was thrown inside.

"Geez Eris, you've gained a few- BLOODY HELL!"

Hajoon slapped himself in the face, and turned back around to see Eris standing against the wall with her arms spread out. He had caught the wrong person.

"Uhm, sorry 'bout this mate," he said sheepishly. Luca's mouth contorted, absolutely dumbfounded of the situation and Hajoon's sheer stupidity. The Hufflepuffs continued to run down the hallway, screaming and laughing to their heart's content.

Eris caught her breath and stared at the yellow colours disappear around the corner. She had absolutely no idea what just had happened, and wasn't even sure how to react to the situation. She thought she should just tell Luca about the events some other day.

She turned around to go back into the Great Hall, but as she did she spotted Remus walking towards it.

"Remus!" she called out. Remus flinched at the sound of his name, and turned to look at who was calling him. His already pale face lost whatever color it had left at the sight of Eris who was walking towards him.

"Remus-! What happened to your face?"

Eris saw he had fresh cuts and bruises that ran over his nose and cheeks, something she hadn't noticed earlier in class. She reached to touch his face but he quickly stepped back and looked down at the ground.

"I- Uh- Fell. I'm sorry Eris, I have to go."

He gave her a small smile then quickly shuffled into the Great Hall before she could say anything. She stared back at him with a frown, but then noticed James and Sirius approaching.

"We need to fortify the Shrieking Shack, we can't have him escaping again."

Sirius nudged James as he saw Eris, and they both flashed her a smile.

"Ah yes, the Gryffindor Hero of Slytherin," James said and gave her a full bow, Sirius following as well. Eris rolled her eyes.

"So, who's going to escape again?" Eris asked. Sirius gulped and looked to James.

"We found a pixie," James said. "Nasty little bugger when it gets out of its cage."

She gave him a curt smile, and the boys continued their way inside and walked to the Gryffindor table. They sat down next to Remus and Peter, and Eris noticed Remus was hunched over the table with his face buried in his hands. He must have been having a bad day, she thought, just like her.

"You best watch what you're revealing."

Eris almost let out a scream and staggered backwards. Hajoon quickly grabbed her arm and dragged her to the window where she was before with Luca, looking very annoyed.

"I didn't think I had to specify to you not to reveal anything about me or the Order," he whispered. Eris frowned, then took a step towards him.

"What did you do to Luca?" she asked. Hajoon rolled his eyes.

"The Ravenclaw Captain is being distracted by my team," he said with a malicious smile, but it quickly faded away. "You cannot under any circumstance reveal anything to anyone unless Dumbledore allows it."

"How did you know I was- Ah." Eris knew the answer to her question. "Then who am I supposed to ask for advice in this situation? Dumbledore is waiting for an answer from me-"

"Then ask me," he said. "My answer is simple: join us."

Eris couldn't believe what he was saying. "You would be a pawn in that scheme? You-Know-Who is much more powerful and has greater numbers no doubt. It's suicide."

"It's because I want to make things right," he said and lowered his gaze. "I never finished my story by the lake. Or answered your question earlier."

Hajoon looked around to make sure no one was there, and surely the corridor was deserted. He closed the gap between them and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "The Durmstrang Headmaster found out about my abilities and was about to hand me over to the Dark Wizard. It's why I transferred. I left my family and ran away to Hogwarts like a coward."

Her eyes widened and she backed up to look at him. His eyes were full of sorrow, and it tugged on her heart.

"But why join the Order? Why let them use you? And spy on me?" Eris asked.

"You-Know-Who was going to use me for death and destruction, no doubt he would kill me once he found no use for me. But Dumbledore is giving me the chance to save lives. I'm a good Wizard, but I'm a stronger clairvoyant. He said I wouldn't have to fight like the official older and more experienced members, just help out with my visions. And ever since the incident with Moro, Dumbledore just wanted to watch out for you through me."

"You have your clairvoyance and you can stand on the sidelines. I can blow up things. Don't you think he'd put me in as a soldier?"

Hajoon shook his head. "You have other talents. Knowledge in Herbology that could probably surpass Sprout's… And…"

"What am I going to do, throw a plant at them?"

"I mean, a mandrake could be fatal." He laughed, but Eris gave him a cold stare.

"Hajoon, there's no reason for me to join. I'll let Dumbledore know tonight-"

"Give it a little more time," Hajoon said. "Think things over two- no, three times. This is a good opportunity for us, for you."

"Why do you want me to join so badly?" Eris asked. "I am no one to you."

His face fell. "That's not true. Back at the train- Eris I've been meaning to tell you for a while now-"

"OI! YOU BLOODY GIT!"

Eris and Hajoon turned around to see Luca stomping towards them. A giggle escaped Eris' lips as she noticed the stark contrast between Hajoon and Luca's height, the latter being a head and a half shorter than him.

"What in Merlin's beard was that all about?" Luca asked, throwing his arms in the air. "You could've killed someone!"

"But I didn't," Hajoon said.

Luca growled. "You almost got Eris too!"

"I mean she was my target initially," Hajoon sighed. "But you had to swoop in like some kind of vulture to protect her."

Luca's face went scarlet. "Yeah- Well- You shouldn't have been wheeling about in a cart inside the school!"

Hajoon rolled his eyes. "I wanted to have a moment with her."

"She was mine first." Luca grabbed Eris' hand and led her the other way, when Hajoon grabbed her other hand pulling her into a stop.

"If you guys are going to play tug-o-war with me consider yourselves squid food," she hissed.

They both hesitantly let go of her.

"You won't tell anyone, right?" Hajoon whispered.

"What? That you've got herpes?" Luca scoffed.

Eris smacked Luca behind the head, then turned to Hajoon. "You have my word." Hajoon shot Luca a look before leaving towards the staircase, his black robe moving in sync with his steps.

"What's gotten into you?" Eris asked.

Luca shrugged. "I don't particularly like him… Anyways, you were saying he wanted to meet you at the Forest?"

"Uh… Yeah… He uh… Wanted to… Confess to me." Nailed it.

His eyes widened. "And? Do you feel the same way?"

Eris shook her head. "Merlin no, he kinda creeps me out. Besides-"

"You still like Remus, right?" he sighed.

"Yeah," she felt heat rise up in her cheeks, and he let out a chuckle.

"Your face gives you away," Luca said, ruffling her hair. "Anyway, Slytherin and Ravenclaw have a match in a few days. Wanna come watch?"

"You asking me out on a date?" she asked jokingly. He licked his lips, then gave a small smile.

"Of course. Got to keep the girlfriend entertained."

Eris laughed. "Fine, I'll be there for support. Don't expect a victory kiss though."

"You mean it was an option?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh sod off," she laughed and pushed him away.

After a moment, Luca's smile disappeared and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Eris," his voice sounded grave. "If he ever causes trouble for you, just let me know alright? There's something off about him."

Eris couldn't agree more. Hajoon was like an impossible jigsaw puzzle she was afraid to solve.

She gave him a smile. "Don't worry about me, worry about Cassidy Jones at the match."

"Wow, I almost forgot about baldie," he said and shrugged. "I promise not to worry my girlfriend." He winked at Eris, who gave him a disgusted face.

He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "See ya, kid."

She watched him leave the same way Hajoon did, and she was alone again.

As she headed back to Marion, she stopped dead in her steps. A dawning realization washed over her as Hajoon's condition came to mind. If Hajoon was a clairvoyant and Dumbledore had told him to keep an eye out for her… Was Hajoon aware that she was Muggle-Born?

* * *

 

"Can't I just… Stay in bed?"

Marion was pulling Eris by the leg, swearing at her repeatedly. Eris was clawing at her sheets like a cat refusing to take a bath, whining about how much she didn't want to go to the Quidditch match. She wanted to support Luca, but seeing Cassidy Jones might prompt her to hex her again. Or the other way around.

It was also a reminder of her accident. It was still vivid in her memories, and she was afraid it would bring on a form of PTSD.

"You will go or so help me-" Marion yanked Eris and she finally let go, tumbling out of bed and landing on the floor. "We need some downtime, and what better way than to see Slytherin destroy those bird brains?"

Eris laughed. "Fine, we'll stay for the first half. But I'm coming back to the dorm and catching up on work."

"A Slytherin? Working? Ew," Marion said and winked at her. She helped Eris up and then fixed her hair so that she looked presentable.

The entire school was making it's way to the Quidditch pitch, and Eris came to terms with it with a simple sigh. She loved Quidditch and was probably one of the most die hard fans in the stands. But she felt out of place. She wasn't sure if it were because of the accident, or the fact that she didn't make it onto the Slytherin team.

Once they arrived they took their seats among a flurry of house colors. Eris found it funny that none of the other houses cheered for Slytherin. It looked like their reputation still stood strong.

Marion kept commenting on the male players while Eris listened on with a smile and a few nods. She was suddenly feeling the same excitement and nervousness she always felt before a match, and thought it was a nice change for once. She was slowly getting back to her normal self.

When the crowd erupted in cheers Eris followed ten fold, scaring Marion off the bench. Eris chanted along with the others for the Ravenclaw members that entered the pitch, blatantly avoiding looking at the Slytherin team entering on the other side.

The referee walked out to the center of the pitch and yelled out the rules. She blew the whistle and the players immediately kicked off.

"Cassidy Jones in possession of the Quaffle, passes to Michael Tannenbaum- Bloody hell someone from Ravenclaw better get their act together-"

"JORDAN!" screamed McGonagall. Caleb Jordan was the Quidditch commentator, a 7th year Gryffindor that was a bit biased with his announcing, and always made everyone laugh. Except Slytherins.

Next to Caleb was Eris analyzing every move outloud, making Marion want to hide behind a Hufflepuff.

"WHAT AN ABSOLUTE MORON HE IS!" Eris yelled out to a Ravenclaw player. "HE COULD'VE EASILY PULLED A FINBOURGH FLICK!"

"Who's side… Are you on…" Marion whispered.

"Cassidy Jones in possession of the Quaffle again- She's headed for the hoop- Bradley sends a Bludger her way but she dodges it, what a shame- SHE THROWS THE QUA- AAAAAND SAVED BY RAVENCLAW CAPTAIN LUCA O'BRIEN! MAN WHAT A HANDSOME AND TALENTED FELLOW HE IS-"

"Jordan, stick to the game at hand!" McGongall hissed.

"Sorry professor! Now the Quaffle is being passed around by the Ravenclaw chasers- Oooh Slytherin chaser just got knocked out by a Bludger, bet he's gonna feel that one in the morning. The Golden Snitch is still out of sight."

The crowd watched as one of the Slytherin Chasers spiraled down on his broom to the ground. Medics arrived promptly and put him on a stretcher, quickly leaving the scene. One of the three reserve members stepped up and immediately kicked off, a little wobbly on his broom. Eris thought it was a good move on the school's part to bring in substitutes, as in a real match the Slytherins would've been a member short. The match didn't even stop and Ravenclaw scored again, but Slytherin remained in the lead.

"GET IT TOGETHER!" Cassidy yelled out as she zoomed over the bleachers. The Slytherin was in possession of the Quaffle again, and Eris noticed that the Seekers were nowhere to be seen on the pitch, no doubt looking for the Snitch. Eris kept yelling out tactics and her frustrations, with some students even joining in.

Cassidy was in possession of the Quaffle and the other two Slytherin Chasers moved alongside her, creating the Hawkshead Attacking Formation. The Ravenclaw members couldn't get past Cassidy's shield and she charged towards the goal post where Luca was waiting. Eris' gaze traveled to him, and she saw just how much concentration he had. She knew this was an important match to him, and boy did she want Slytherin to lose.

Cassidy threw the Quaffle and Luca barely made it to hit it away towards one of his Chasers. As the other two Slytherin Chasers turned around to follow the Quaffle, Cassidy lingered in front of Luca. Eris could've sworn they were having a conversation, and suddenly Luca's expression darkened.

The Ravenclaw beaters worked in sync to send two Bludgers towards the replacement Chaser, and they hit him on either side of the head. Cassidy let out a scream as another of her members fell to the ground like a swatted fly. Everyone in the stands and the Ravenclaw team cheered.

The referee blew the whistle and announced an early half-time. The fans on the bleachers took back their seats and so did Eris, but she continued to eye the pitch below. Cassidy looked to be in a heated argument with the referee, continuously pointing at the reserve team.

"So you want to go back to the dorm? I'm getting bored," Marion said.

"But it's Quidditch!" Eris cried out. "How can you be bored with this?"

Marion gave her a sly grin. "Just a while ago I couldn't even get you out of bed, and now you're embracing the match?"

Eris cleared her throat, then laughed sheepishly. "Fine. Turns out Quidditch is exactly what I need at the moment."

Someone flew overhead, and people started to cheer. Eris and Marion looked up to see Luca hovering in front of their area of the stands. He was waving at everyone like some sort of celebrity, and the crowd was loving it. His eyes met Eris' and he gave her a wink, though some girls behind her thought it was for them. She scoffed and she could hear Marion sigh wishfully.

"You're damn lucky to have him as your boyfriend," Marion said.

"He isn't!" Eris cried out. "It just… He uh… Has a crazy ex-girlfriend that won't let him go. She's like half troll or something."

"Yeesh." Marion's face contorted. "Who would've thought?"

Eris laughed and tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. But another shadow loomed over them and the crowd suddenly went quiet.

"TURNER!"

Eris looked back up to see Cassidy floating next to Luca who was eyeing her like he was going to hex her.

"WE NEED YOU!" Cassidy yelled out. Luca's eyes widened and he turned to Eris.

"ERIS, DON'T!" Luca cried.

Eris stared at both of them, confused of their exchange.

"We're missing a Chaser, if you want your chance this is it!"

Regulus flew by and threw a broom towards Eris which whacked her square in the face. Cassidy's jaw clenched. "HURRY, THE MATCH IS STARTING!"

Eris fumbled with the broom and mounted it, glancing at Marion.

"You can't be serious," Marion said. "The last time you were on a broom you almost died!"

"I… I know," Eris said. "But- They need me."

"YOU HATE THE SLYTHERIN TEAM!" Marion yelled. "You were cheering on Ravenclaw and suddenly you're being patriotic?"

"But… It's Quidditch," Eris replied, kicking off the benches that sent a gust of wind throughout the fans.

"IF YOU END UP IN THE HOSPITAL AGAIN," Marion screamed after her, "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Cassidy led Eris to the Slytherin team bench on the pitch. The captain landed gracefully while Eris tumbled and fell face first onto the grass.

"If we lose this," Cassidy said. "Your ancestors will feel dizzy."

Eris gulped and got up onto her feet. She suddenly remembered how she had cursed the other to lose all her hair, and wondered why she was asking for help.

"This is against the rules!"

The entire Slytherin team looked to Luca who was walking towards them, taking his helmet off and shaking his head to get his hair out of his face.

"O'Brien, stay out of this," Cassidy hissed.

"No, you'll get her killed like last time!" Luca said, standing in front of Eris. "Everyone knows you like to play dirty, but this is going beyond you. You can't let an amateur play."

Eris felt angry at his words. If she hadn't protected Remus, she would've made the team. But Luca was calling her an amateur, and her competitive side was easing out like an ugly monster out of it's cave.

"She's just here to decorate the pitch," Cassidy said, glancing behind Luca to look at Eris. "You just fly about and stay out of the way, we'll take care of the rest."

Seth, the Vice-Captain, walked over to Eris and handed her a uniform. She held the fabric in between her fingers, feeling her chest swell up with happiness. Silver letters formed on the back "Turner" and the number 07.

Luca turned around to look at Eris. "I thought you were better than this," he said.

"I just want one last chance," she said. "This was my goal, can't you let me have this just once?"

"Can't you see she's playing you? Eris, I can't save you if something happens again." Luca looked to Cassidy, who gave him a sly smile. He put his helmet back on and stormed away from the Slytherin team. Cassidy called everyone to huddle up and gave a quick run-through of the plan. Eris had absolutely no idea what she was saying. She was speaking so quickly that she barely caught onto full words. But if she was just there for show, it shouldn't have mattered anyways.

The referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the break. Eris stretched her hand out and waited eagerly with a bright smile on her face for the rest of her team to stack their hands over hers, but everyone passed by her as if she were invisible.

Cassidy yelled after her to get into position, and Eris ran quickly to the right wing of the formation. She glanced to the bleachers and saw Marion watching over her in the stands, gnawing at her finger nails.

The whistle sounded again and everyone kicked off, Eris flying up just two beats later. Ravenclaw was in possession, and the Chaser passed by her with a sneer.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen there seems to be a new player in the Slytherin team. Her name is Eris Turner in number 7, sources say she sucks a-"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry Prof McGee," Caleb said and cleared his throat. "Ravenclaw in possession slithering through the Slytherins-"

The fans groaned at Caleb, but he simply shrugged and continued with the commentaries. Eris on the other hand was trying to get into the game, but every time she wanted to cease an opening, Cassidy got in her way and glanced at her menacingly.

She got the chance she had been dreaming of ever since she had seen the sport in her first year. Yet, she felt utterly useless and miserable. The Slytherins could've at least made the effort to let her participate, but it was just as Cassidy had said: she was only there to decorate.

Eris flew slowly in the direction where the Quaffle went, realizing it wouldn't do her any good if she got in the way of the rest of her teammates. The scores were neck and neck, and the Seekers had disappeared again.

Something grazed Eris' ear and she let out a scream as she jerked herself to the side. She spotted a Ravenclaw beater that was eyeing her murderously, the same look Regulus had when he batted the Bludger toward his brother and Remus. Eris looked behind her and sure enough the bludger was headed back for her, and she propelled herself forward.

She made her way through the Ravenclaw members shakily on her broom, feeling her grip loosen and control decrease. She felt the familiar wobble she always did back at the lake, and thought if she didn't land soon she would be in the hospital again.

Another bludger sent her way made her slip under her broom and hang upside down, her path deviating at a dangerous angle. The other Quidditch players got out of her way with shouts.

She felt something pull at the back of her Quidditch robe and fling her back upright on her broom. It was Regulus.

"Get it together!" he shouted and turned back towards the center of the pitch. Eris let out a scream as she realized she was headed straight for the arena wall. She pulled the handle upwards and arced backwards until she was back in a normal position. She breathed a sigh of relief, and looked to the center of the pitch.

The teams were in a standstill, the Quaffle being passed violently between Chasers. Eris was supposed to be in the middle of it all as well, but she didn't want to get on Cassidy's bad side. Eris was sure she would screw up anyway.

Eris casually floated towards the center, sighing repeatedly. She got just close enough to hear exactly what everyone was yelling about, but was still very much excluded from the fight.

The Quaffle shot out from the pack of chasers and fell straight into Eris' hands. The entire arena went silent, all eyes on Eris who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"TURNER!"

Eris didn't give it a second thought. She dove under the group of Chasers while staying low on her broom, headed straight for the ground. The Ravenclaw Chasers dipped down to follow her without a second to lose, but the Slytherin Chasers remained stunned for a moment.

At the last possible second, Eris leveled with the ground and sped forward. The proximity to the ground created a dust cloud that blinded the Chasers following behind, but Eris never planned that. All she wanted was to get the Quaffle through the goal.

"Amazing!" Jordan yelled out. "Turner in possession of the Quaffle, flying low near the ground. Referee is getting ready to blow the whistle in case she falls face first in the dirt like she deserves- Sorry Profes- ERIS JUST PULLED UP, SHE'S HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE RAVENCLAW POSTS!"

Just a few feet before the planted goal posts, Eris yanked her broom and was headed upwards toward the sky. The Quaffle was nestled under her arm, and no Chaser from the opposing team managed to catch up with her speed.

But her speed was her ultimate weakness.

She passed by Luca who stared at her as if she were Icarus flying too close to the sun as she was way higher than the bleachers. Eris felt her broom slowly slip under her grip, and before she lost it, she pushed herself off of her broom.

"TURNER!"

"ERIS!"

"MORON!"

Eris threw the Quaffle with all of her strength to the far right goal post. Luca flew as fast as he could but the ball ricocheted off the top of his head and through the hoop.

The whistle blew three times throughout the arena. The Snitch had been caught, but Eris didn't know which team had won. She was plummeting to her death.

Luca maneuvered his broom and caught Eris in his arms that sent the two of them spinning. Luca barely managed to get his grip back onto the handle before being thrown into one of the goal posts.

Eris clung onto him for dear life, panting and feeling nauseous.

"You are absolutely insane!" he screamed into her ear, making her flinch.

Cheers erupted from the bleachers, and both Eris and Luca turned back to the center of the pitch. All of the flags around the arena changed to a dark shade of green.

Slytherin had won.

Luca flew down onto the ground and Eris scrambled into a run. She was elated and couldn't wait to celebrate with the team- with her team. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her stomach was in her throat. But she didn't care, she was victorious.

But when she began to cheer with everyone, no one even bothered to include her. They all chanted Regulus' name as he was thrown into the air, not even looking in Eris' direction.

She gave her team a bittersweet smile before slipping her uniform off her back. She had hoped to at least get a picture with it on. The silver letters disappeared to only show the Slytherin colors, and she walked back to the Slytherin bench and placed it near someone's bag.

"Turner!"

Eris turned around to see Seth a few feet away from her, away from the still celebrating green team. "You did good."

The girl smiled brightly and nodded in thanks. He jogged back to the team and cheered with them, and someone sent fireworks into the sky.

Luca approached her with a scowl on his face. "Cassidy was out to kill you for humiliating her! This wasn't a final attempt to win the match, this was her trying to get back at you!"

"You just didn't want your girlfriend to have a little fun-"

"I'm not joking around, Eris."

Her breath hitched. The last time she had seen him so serious was right before her accident at tryouts.

"And you could've died trying to pull a Chelmondiston Charge. No one ever attempts it because they can't get their landing right. You're lucky I caught you, and right after the referee called the end of the match." He paused and glanced at her from head to toe. "You're not hurt are you?"

She shook her head. "Not physically." She suddenly felt sick. Was Cassidy that crazy to have wanted her to get hurt again on the pitch? Especially after her ordeal the last time she played Quidditch… Was she that heartless? Or was Eris herself just naive and clueless? Her eyes watered and she cursed under her breath.

Luca's face fell and wanted to say something but she left through the Slytherin tunnel.

"Eris-! Eris, wait!" Luca called out, but didn't follow her.

Eris walked with her head hung low. Marion ran up to her and brought her into a long hug.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" she cried out. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE A GONER!"

Eris laughed and wrapped her arms around her. "I think this is my Quidditch retirement."

Marion pulled away and regarded her gravely. "But… It's Quidditch."

"Yeah, but I don't think it's my thing. I got my wish. I was part of the team and I scored."

"Wow, it took one free fall to make you give up on joining the Quidditch team?" Marion said, and Eris shrugged a little sadly. Marion hugged her again, sighing into her shoulder. "Also, you need to stop thinking things halfway through. If that Keeper weren't there- You would've been a green pancake."

"Appealing," Eris said. They began to move down the tunnel and emerged outside of the arena where people had also started walking back to school. Marion was saying how everyone near her were holding their breath when she pulled that stunt, and even the Ravenclaw fans were impressed by her skills. It lifted Eris' mood a little, but it still felt bitter to her. It was her dream after all to make it on the team, but it was far from what she had imagined. She hated the ideal she had created around the sport, and thought she should just content herself with watching it. The team she wanted to join so badly ended up being a cult run by Cassidy Jones. It wasn't anything to be proud of.

A flurry of colours surrounded Eris and Marion, and the girls didn't know what was happening.

"Number 7 you were amazing!"

"Yeah! That Chelmon move was insane!"

"Can you sign my broom for good luck?"

Eris couldn't believe what was happening. People were shouting her name and praising her. Marion watched on with tears in her eyes, a proud smile stretching on her lips. They continued their way back to the school surrounded by fans that shook Eris' hand and patted her on the back. Two large Hufflepuffs hoisted her up onto their shoulders. They chanted her name and cheered for her until they reached the castle.

"Did you pay them?" Eris whispered to Marion, who was yelling that she was Eris' best friend and single to the passing boys.

"I had nothing to do with this," Marion said. "I think people were genuinely impressed. I know I was. Worried, but impressed."

Eris wondered to herself why Luca couldn't have done the same. She thought that what she pulled was pretty amazing with the adrenaline rush, so why couldn't he give her some slack instead of always yelling at her when it came to her playing Quidditch?

"Come on, let's go grab dinner," Marion said. "I heard Dumbledore will be making an announcement for Halloween festivities."

Eris' grin spread from ear to ear. She adored Halloween and was hoping that her last one at Hogwarts would be the best out of the 7 years she was there.


End file.
